j  '..N    q?~ 


MARIE  ELK: 


- 


e — 


J.ITTA^ 

An  American  Singer 

A  SKETCH  OF 

MARIE  EUGENIA  VON  ELSNER 

BY 

JOHN  M.  SCOTT 


BLOOMINGTON,  ILLINOIS 
1897 

V 


Copyright  by 

JOHN  M.  SCOTT. 

1897. 


MARIE  EUGENIA  VON  ELSNER. 


DEDICATED 

TO     THE     MEMORY     OR 

H  UGO VON  ELSNER 

AND 

AMANDA  KATHARINE  VON  ELSNER, 

FATHER  AND  MOTHER  OF  LITTA, 

SO   THAT  THEIR    NAMES    MAY    EVER 

BE  CLOSELY  ASSOCIATED  WITH 

THE    NAME   AND   FAME 

OFTHEIR  GIFTED 

DAUGHTER. 


CONTENTS. 

I.  THE  VON  ELSNER  FAMILY,     -  13 

II.  A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER,  41 

III.  A  QUEEN  OF  SONG,                 -  57 

IV.  A  SWEET  VOICE,  -  81 

V.  WITH  THE  STRAKOSCH  OPERA 

COMPANY,       ...  99 

VI.  CONCERT  TOURS,                     -  125 

VII.  THE  GOING  HOME,  145 

VIII.  PERSONAL,  WORTH,  -       -       -  153 

IX.  IN  MEMORIAM,      ...  163 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


I.  LITTA.    Frontis-piece,  1 

In  Marriage  Scene  in  Lucia. 

II.  LITTA, 65 

A  Student  in  Paris. 

III.  COTTAGE, 83 

Presented  to  Litta's  Mother. 

IV.  LITTA  MONUMENT,  -  164 

In  Bloomington  Cemetery. 


NOTE. 


the  biography  of  a  per- 
son  whose  life  is  in  no  way  con- 
nected with  public  affairs  is  brief. 
That  which  is  achieved  by  a  single  indi- 
vidual, disconnected  from  others,  is  an 
inconsiderable  portion  of  history.  It 
is  only  when  one's  life  becomes  inter- 
woven with  the  events  of  a  nation  or  peo- 
ple, his  biography  widens  and  presents 
an  extensive  field  for  investigation. 
Matters  of  national  or  popular  concern 
are  then  considered  in  connection  with 
the  individual  acts  of  the  person  whose 
biography  is  to  be  written.  It  is  a  no- 
ticeable fact,  the  life  of  a  great  artist 
in  music  or  painting  seldom  furnishes 
more  than  limited  material  for  biogra- 
phy. That  is  especially  true  of  a  prima 
donna,  however  famous  she  may  become 


LlTTA 

during  the  time  she  is  before  the  public. 
Two  explanations  may  be  given:  1.  Hers 
is  mostly  individual  work.  She  labors  in 
a  realm  above  all  others — alone;  and  2. 
The  life  of  a  great  prima  donna  on  the 
lyric  stage  is  not  often  longer  than  a 
short  series  of  years.  Of  the  personal 
history  of  such  an  one  before  her  debut, 
little  is  ever  known — only  that  it  had 
been  a  time  of  severest  toil  and  training 
to  fit  her  for  her  profession.  Her  coming 
before  the  public  is  not  always  antici- 
pated and  is  sometimes  as  unexpected  as 
is  the  coming  of  a  meteor  that  lights  up 
the  heavens  for  a  brief  moment  with 
such  fascinating  splendor.  But  suddenly 
as  a  prima  donna  comes  into  public  view 
just  as  suddenly  she  disappears.  After 
a  few  years  of  brilliant  appearing  she 
leaves  the  stage  and  if  not  wholly  for- 
gotten, it  is  certain  but  little  is  heard  of 
her  by  the  general  public  in  all  the  f  u- 


8 


NOTE 

ture.  Only  a  few  in  the  same  profession 
will  long-  remember  her.  These  consid- 
erations afford  an  explanation  of  the 
brevity  of  this  sketch  of  Marie  Eugenia 
von  Eisner,  or  Litta,  as  she  was  best 
known.  Her  life  was  only  a  short  span — 
twenty-seven  years.  Most  of  those  years 
were  spent  in  the  study  of  her  chosen 
profession.  After  her  first  great  success 
in  Paris  she  was  not  before  the  public 
much  longer  than  five  years.  Then  for  the 
first  time,  since  her  earliest  childhood, 
she  had  rest — peaceful  rest — but  it  was 
in  the  silent  grave.  Writing  only  of  her 
the  story  of  her  life  is  shortly  told.  It 
has  been  very  difficult  to  secure  the  facts 
necessary  to  enable  one  to  write  a  full 
sketch  of  the  life  of  Litta,  and  there 
has  been  in  many  instances  no  oppor- 
tunity to  verify  such  as  have  been 
obtained,  so  as  to  be  absolutely  certain 
of  their  correctness.  It  is  for  that  rea- 


LlTTA 

son  it  is  feared  errors  have  got  into  this 
little  work.  It  was  the  intention  to  treat 
everyone,  especially  those  whose  names 
have  been  mentioned,  with  the  utmost 
fairness,  and  if  that  has  not  been  done 
it  will  be  a  matter  of  profound  regret. 
Indebtedness  for  much  this  sketch  con- 
tains is  acknowledged  as  being  due  to 
Capt.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Burnham. 


I. 

THE  VON  ELSNER  FAMILY 


"We  spend  our  years  as  a  tale  that  is 
told." 


"History  makes  haste  to  record  great 
deeds,  but  often  neglects  good  ones." 

— Hosea  Ballou. 


THE  VON  ELSNERS. 


THE  biography  of  noted  persons, 
especially  that  portion  which  re- 
lates to  their  early  and  personal  lives, 
is  a  valuable  part  of  the  local  history 
of  the  community  in  which  they  lived. 
Indeed,  the  biography  of  all  people, 
whether  lowly  or  exalted,  constitutes 
no  inconsiderable  portion  of  the  his- 
tory of  the  state  or  nation.  It  is 
worth  vastly  more  than  accounts  of 
its  wars  —  its  battles  with  tables  of  its 
dead.  The  one  relates  to  war  —  war  is 
simply  violence — and  teaches  no  les- 
son that  is  gentle  and  refined  —  the 
other  relates  to  and  teaches  all  that  is 
good  and  true  in  the  best  lives.  That  is 
what  young  people  need  most  to  learn 
and  know.  There  are  in  every  com- 
'3 


LlTTA 

munity,  whether  new  or  old,  persons 
whose  lives  furnish  material  for  biog- 
raphy in  its  best  and  truest  sense. 
Persons  who  have  become  known  to 
fame  and  who  have  risen  to  exalted 
positions  in  statesmanship  and  litera- 
ture, in  art,  in  music,  in  mechanics, 
and  in  the  learned  professions,  have 
established  characters  eminently  fit  to 
be  made  the  subject  of  study.  There 
are  persons — and  very  many  of  them — 
in  lowly  life  who  never  become  known 
much  beyond  the  limits  of  the  neigh- 
borhood in  which  they  lived,  and  yet 
whose  lives  are  crowded  full  of  all 
that  is  good  and  heroic  —  the  study  of 
which  is  always  interesting  and  profit- 
able. It  is  of  such  we  wish  to  know 
most.  When  the  crown  of  greatest  ex- 
cellence shall  be  placed  on  the  head 
most  worthy  to  wear  it,  at  the  last 
'4 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

grand  assizes  by  the  Great  Judge  of  all 
the  earth,  it  is  not  probable  it  will  rest 
upon  the  head  of  one  written  by  the 
historian  as  greatest  among-  the  great 
ones  of  this  world.  It  may  be  it  will 
rest  upon  one  who  was  esteemed  lowly 
as  men  write  history,  and  yet  whose 
life  was  truth  itself  and  whose  deeds 
were  all  gentleness  and  kindness. 

It  is  the  purpose  now  to  write  of  one 
of  whom  the  historian  of  her  state  will 
not  do  much  more  than  make  brief 
mention  of  her  name,  the  dates  of 
her  birth  and  death;  and  yet  her  name 
and  personal  worth  are  worthy  of  a 
record  written  where  it  will  endure  for- 
ever. Influences  that  came  from  her 
true  and  gentle  life  will  impress  the 
communities  among  whom  she  lived 
long  after  there  will  remain  any  one 
who  will  mention  her  name.  With  the 
'5 


LlTTA 

present  generation  the  name  of  Litta 
is  imperishable,  but  to  make  it  per- 
petual with  succeeding  generations  it 
must  have  historic  mention.  That 
part  of  the  biography  of  famous  peo- 
ple that  is  usually  of  greatest  interest 
relates  commonly  to  their  early  lives. 
The  desire  is  to  know  the  beginnings 
of  their  lives  and  to  trace  their  prog- 
ress onward  and  upward  to  greatness. 
It  is  the  highway  to  fame  and  most 
every  one  is  intensely  interested  in  its 
description;  or,  as  the  woodman  ex- 
presses it,  in  having  it  "blazed,"  so 
that  others  may  readily  discover  and 
follow  it. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,— 
Marie  Eugenia  von  Eisner, — came  from 
forbears  on  her  mother's  side  neither 
rich  nor  poor.  Her  mother  was  the 
daughter  of  William  Dimmitt  and  Mary 
16 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

Irvine  Dimmitt.  Her  grandfather, — 
William  Dimmitt — was  a  pioneer  in 
Illinois.  His  birthplace  was  in  the 
state  of  Maryland.  In  1825  he  came 
West.  Afterwards,  he  purchased  a 
small  farm  near  the  north  side  of 
Blooming-  Grove,  in  McLean  county, 
consisting-,  perhaps,  of  eighty  acres, 
which  he  improved,  and  on  which  he 
afterwards  made  a  home  for  his  fam- 
ily, and  on  a  part  of  which  he  lived 
with  his  family  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1879.  It  was  an  excellent 
selection  for  a  home  in  the  midst  of  a 
new  and  beautiful  country.  What  is 
now  the  city  of  Blooming-ton  had  not 
then  been  located.  Later,  the  town  of 
Bloomington  was  surveyed  and  located 
on  land  just  west — perhaps  not  adjoin- 
ing-—  but  not  far  distant  from  Mr. 
Dimmitt's  land.  The  little  town  pros- 
'7 


LlTTA 

pered  and  extended  east,  so  that  it 
soon  became  necessary  for  him  to  lay 
off  part  of  his  farm  in  an  addition  to 
the  town  of  Bloomington,  which  addi- 
tion bears  his  name  to  this  day;  and, 
finally,  his  whole  farm  was  needed  for 
town  lots.  From  the  sale  of  lots,  he 
realized  what  was  considered  quite  a 
little  fortune  in  that  early  day.  Be- 
fore his  death  much  of  it  was  lost,  so 
that  no  considerable  portion  of  it  de- 
scended to  his  children.  His  daughter, 
Amanda,  was  born  in  Bloomington  in 
1835.  She  was  the  mother  of  Marie 
Eugenia  von  Eisner,  —  since  better 
known  by  her  stage  name  of  Litta. 
Not  much  is  known  concerning  the 
paternal  ancestors  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  —  Marie  Eugenia.  They 
were  Germans,  and  probably  were  of 
high  rank  in  their  native  land.  It  is 
18 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

not  known  that  any  of  the  family, 
other  than  her  father,  ever  came  to 
America.  Her  father  —  Hugo  von  Eis- 
ner— was  born  near  Goerletz,  not  far 
from  Dresden,  in  Germany.  Not  much 
explanation  is  given  by  English  lexi- 
cographers of  the  word  "von"  or  of  its 
origin,  or  concerning  its  exact  mean- 
ing when  used  in  connection  with  a 
person's  name.  The  word  itself  is  Ger- 
man, and  is  a  preposition  meaning 
"from"  or  "of."  It  is  a  twin  word  with 
"van"  —  *Dutch  —  which  is  defined  to 


"•Originally  the  word  "von"— and  may  be  it 
does  now  in  Germany  —  indicated,  the  person 
before  whose  name  it  was  used  was  entitled  to 
some  rank  or  distinction,  but  perhaps  it  did  not 
of  itself  imply  the  rank  to  which  the  party  was 
entitled.  It  seems  that  afterwards  the  descend- 
ant families  still  used  the  word  without  refer- 
ence to  the  fact  whether  the  descendants  would 
or  might  come  to  the  same  offices  or  rank.  Per- 
sons who  could  rightfully  use  the  word  in  Ger- 
many still  use  it  after  coming  to  this  country, 
where  it  can  not  mean  much  if  anything,  under 
American  customs  and  usages. 

'9 


LlTTA 

mean  "before."  The  word  was  used  by 
her  father,  certainly  since  the  time  he 
came  to  this  country,  and  doubtless 
before  he  came  from  Germany.  What- 
ever "von"  did  or  may  mean  in  Ger- 
many, in  this  country,  with  American 
people,  it  means  no  more  than  "van," 
and  that  has  come  to  be  so  generally 
used  it  is  not  understood  by  common 
folk  to  mean  anything-  more  than  a 
part  of  a  person's  name  itself. 

It  matters  little  what  meaning-  may 
be  attached  to  the  word  "von,"  it  is 
certain  he  was  a  man  of  more  than 
ordinary  intellectual  endowments.  He 
was  highly  educated  in  the  German 
schools  before  coming  to  America.  It 
is  said  he  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  "Jae- 
ger Battalion"  —  a  military  organiza- 
tion in  Germany  noted  for  the  fact  it 
was  composed  of  educated  young  men 

20 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

of  prominence.  It  was  known  he  was 
a  civil  engineer,  and  doubtless  prac- 
ticed that  profession  to  a  limited  ex- 
tent before  leaving-  his  native  land. 
He  could  not  have  practiced  that  or 
any  other  occupation  very  long  in  Ger- 
many, for  he  was  a  very  young-  man 
when  he  came  to  this  country.  He 
never  returned  to  his  fatherland.  Af- 
ter coming  to  Illinois  he  followed  for  a 
brief  time  the  occupation  of  a  civil 
engineer.  In  that  capacity,  or  in  some 
other,  he  assisted  others  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  railway  between  Elgin 
and  Freeport. 

It  was  in  1854  he  came  to  Blooming- 
ton  to  make  for  himself  a  new  home, 
and  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  its  people. 
It  was  around  his  new  location  most  of 
the  events  of  his  after-life  clustered  — 
events  that  will  give  him  a  place  in 
21 


LlTTA 

history  that  he  might  not  otherwise 
have  had.  It  is  not  known  he  ever 
followed  or  sought  employment  in  the 
occupation  of  a  civil  engineer  after 
coming-  to  Bloomington.  He  had  a 
passion  for  teaching  music  and  it  was 
well  for  him  that  he  had,  for  he  did 
not  seem  to  have  any  capacity  for  do- 
ing much  else  from  which  any  income 
could  be  derived.  However,  he  did 
couple  with  the  teaching  of  music  the 
teaching  of  the  German  language  to  a 
limited  extent.  In  the  teaching  of  the 
German  language,  he  did  not  seem  to 
take  much  interest,  and  perhaps  was 
not  very  successful —  it  may  have  been 
because  he  could  not  get  much  to  do  in 
that  line.  But  in  the  teaching  of  music 
he  was  quite  successful,  and  it  was  from 
that  source  that  he  derived  the  princi- 
pal part  of  his  income — a  revenue  not 

22 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

large  at  any  time.  Some  classes  were 
organized  for  the  study  of  the  German 
language  and  engaged  him  for  their 
teacher.  In  one  of  his  classes  organ- 
ized to  study  that  language  was  Gen. 
William  Ward  Orme,  who  afterwards 
became  a  distinguished  lawyer  and  was 
noted  as  an  orator.  During  the  Civil 
war  of  1861-1865,  he  enlisted  in  the  Fed- 
eral army,  was  colonel  of  the  ninety- 
fourth  regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers, 
and,  later  was  appointed  by  the  Pres- 
ident a  brigadier  general  in  the  army, 
which  appointment  was  confirmed  by 
Congress.  He  won  high  distinction  in 
that  service  as  a  brave  and  gallant 
officer.  Another  member  of  the  same 
class  was  Dr.  William  A.  Elder,  who 
later  became  eminent  as  a  physician, 
and  was  also  noted  for  his  skill  as  a  sur- 
geon. He  was  esteemed  as  a  man  of 
23 


LlTTA 

the  highest  social  worth.  The  writer  of 
this  sketch  of  the  teacher's  gifted  and 
famous  daughter  was  also  a  member 
of  the  same  class.  Only  General  Orme 
made  a  success  of  learning  the  Ger- 
man language  under  his  instruction. 
He  acquired  such  knowledge  of  that 
language  as  enabled  him  to  speak  it 
quite  fluently.  It  was  not  the  fault  of 
the  teacher,  other  members  of  the 
class  whose  names  have  been  men- 
tioned did  not  become  more  proficient 
in  that  language. 

Before  and  at  the  date  and  for  a 
brief  time  after  his  marriage,  von  Eis- 
ner had  desk  room  in  the  law  office  of 
the  writer.  That  fact  afforded  an  op- 
portunity to  become  personally  well  ac- 
quainted with  him  —  that  is  as  well  as 
he  would  permit  any  one  outside  of  his 
family  to  become  acquainted  with  him. 
24 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

In  many  respects  he  was  very  singular 
in  his  distinguishing"  characteristics. 
He  was  not  always  equable  in  his  tem- 
perament. At  times  he  was  cheerful, 
and  at  others  despondent  as  though 
suffering  from  disappointment.  The 
recollection  of  him  is  that  in  his  dispo- 
sition he  was  generally  reticent.  The 
class  in  German,  of  which  mention  has 
been  made,  met  in  the  office  of  the 
writer  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  in- 
struction. It  was  seldom  —  if  ever  — 
he  stopped  after  the  hour  for  giving 
the  lesson  had  expired  to  talk  with  any 
member  of  the  class,  either  on  such 
subjects  as  usually  engage  the  atten- 
tion of  young  men  of  near  the  same 
age  or  about  anything  else.  General 
Orme  was  a  brilliant  and  entertaining 
conversationalist,  and  yet  it  is  not  be- 
lieved von  Eisner  ever  talked  with  him 
25 


LlTTA 

/ 

five  minutes  at  any  one   time  about 

anything-  other  than  the  lesson  he 
was  teaching-.  The  agreement  was, 
he  was  to  teach  the  class  for  a  defi- 
nite time  —  perhaps  one  hour  each  les- 
son—  for  a  stipulated  sum  to  be  paid 
by  each  member  of  the  class.  On  en- 
tering- the  room  where  the  class  was 
usually  assembled  before  his  coming-, 
without  saying  more  than  the  usual 
friendly  greeting-  —  and  that  briefly  — 
he  commenced  his  teaching-,  and  at  the 
close  he  asked  for  and  received  the  tu- 
ition due  from  each  scholar  and  at 
once  left  with  as  brief  ceremony  as  he 
had  entered  the  office.  It  may  be  he 
was  more  social  in  other  company — 
whether  he  was  or  not,  no  information 
can  now  be  given.  He  seemed  to  com- 
mune mostly  with  himself.  Oftentimes 
he  appeared  to  be  abstracted  —  his  at- 
26 


THE  VON  EISNERS 

tention  seemingly  engaged  in  matters 
elsewhere  than  in  the  midst  of  his  im- 
mediate surroundings.  That  gave  per- 
sons who  did  not  know  him  well  the 
impression,  he  was  abrupt  and  austere 
in  his  manners.  Such,  however,  was 
not  the  fact.  In  some  respects  he  was 
a  genius  and  possessed  what  may  be 
termed  a  German  metaphysical  mind. 
It  was  comprehensive,  dreamy,  and 
thoughtful.  He  did  not  possess  much 
executive  ability  and  still  less  capac- 
ity for  money  making  in  any  business. 
It  seemed  to  be  impossible  for  him  to 
organize  a  business  that  would  produce 
any  profitable  returns.  He  could  do  so 
much  work  for  so  much  money,  and 
that  was  all.  One  who  knew  him  and 
his  wife  well,  is  authority  for  the  state- 
ment, it  was  seldom  two  persons  whose 
lives  came  together  ever  possessed  so 
2? 


LlTTA 

little   capacity  for  taking  care  of  or 
providing"  for  themselves. 

Of  his  wife  not  much  can  be  writ- 
ten. She  was  the  daughter  of  pio- 
neers—  a  hardy  and  vigorous  people. 
Her  lot  having  been  cast  among  a  pio- 
neer people  it  was  not  practicable  for 
her  to  have  much  advantage  from  the 
schools  —  the  best  of  them  being  at 
that  early  day  of  rather  low  grade  — 
but  she  possessed  strong  sense  and  dis- 
tinctly marked  mental  characteristics. 
One  of  her  sons  now  living  says  his 
mother  had  an  unusually  sweet  voice 
and  of  considerable  power  and  compass. 
Litta  herself  said  her  mother  possessed 
a  beautiful  voice  but  it  was  never  cul- 
tivated. Their  daughter  —  Marie  — 
doubtless  took  her  distinguishing  char- 
acteristics from  both  her  father  and 
mother.  She  had  the  genius  and  men- 
28 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

tal  endowments  of  her  father  and  no 
doubt  she  obtained  from  her  mother 
that  wonderful  voice  power  that  made 
her  known  in  her  own  and  other  lands. 
Although  an  educated  musician,  her 
father  was  in  no  considerable  degree 
the  master  of  song. 

It  is  strange  what  a  fascination  the 
events  in  the  early  life  of  one  who  has 
become  famous  have  for  all  readers, 
both  young  and  old,  learned  and  un- 
learned, who  make  their  lives  the  sub- 
ject of  study.  No  branch  of  literature 
has  more  in  it  that  charms  —  especially 
young  persons  —  than  books  of  biog- 
raphy in  which  are  recorded  the  early 
events  in  a  great  life.  The  nineteenth 
century  abounds  in  such  works  and 
they  take  rank  as  the  most  popular 
books  of  the  current  period.  It  is  for 
the  simple  reason  in  them  is  traced  the 
29 


LlTTA 

events  that  make  up  great  characters 
from  early  childhood  to  strong  man- 
hood in  the  progress  from  "obscurity 
to  fame" — a  fame  as  wide  as  civiliza- 
tion prevails  on  all  the  earth.  The  life 
of  her  who  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
may  never  be  written  by  the  historian 
of  states  and  commonwealths  as  one 
who  was  accounted  great  in  the  age  in 
which  she  lived,  and  yet  her  life  had 
in  it  as  much  that  was  heroic,  brave, 
and  worthy  to  be  recorded  as  was  ever 
contained  in  the  life  of  the  mere  sol- 
dier who  led  armies  to  devastate  and 
lay  waste  states  and  provinces.  Few 
characters  show  better  than  does  hers 
the  struggle  from  lowly  life  to  a  splen- 
did triumph  that  brought  her  a  suc- 
cess that  very  few  achieve.  By  the 
strength  of  her  own  indomitable  en- 
ergy, she  rose,  from  obscurity  and 
30 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

poverty,  to  a  position  the  most  gifted 
queen  of  song  might  envy. 

It  is  a  strange  fact  she  never  had 
any  childhood  life  as  other  little  ones 
have.  From  the  cradle  to  the  grave 
her  life  was  a  ceaseless  but  heroic 
struggle  such  as  few  could  endure. 
Like  the  huma,  she  never  stopped  to 
rest.  Our  admiration  for  her  is  in- 
creased as  we  read  the  history  of  her 
life  work  from  its  beginning  to  its 
close.  Not  any  event  occurred  in  her 
life  but  that  teaches  some  valuable 
lesson,  we  would  all  be  the  better  for 
knowing.  Let  us  go  with  her  through 
her  short  but  brilliant  life  and  we 
shall  see  where  she  was  born,  how  she 
lived,  what  work  she  did,  what  burdens 
she  bore,  what  hardships  she  suffered 
through  long,  weary  days  and  cheer- 
less nights,  until  the  light  of  the  morn- 
3' 


LlTTA 

ing  of  her  triumph  gilded  her  beauti- 
ful life.  If  anyone  would  be  great, 
go  travel  the  path  she  trod,  work  as 
she  wrought,  struggle  as  she  strug- 
gled, sometimes  in  hope  but  more 
often  in  deepest  sorrow  but  with  a 
faith  in  her  ultimate  success  that  was 
sublime  and  unfaltering,  and  his  am- 
bition may  be  crowned  with  success. 

Marie  Eugenia  von  Eisner  was  born 
June  1,  1856,  in  a  small  cottage  situ- 
ated on  the  north  side  of  Front  street, 
east,  now  known  as  No.  710,  between 
Clayton  and  Clinton  streets,  in  the  city 
of  Bloomington.  She  died  July  7,  1883, 
at  No.  812  Washington  street,  east, 
not  much  more  distant  than  the  usual 
sized  block  from  the  place  of  her  birth. 
Her  life  was  brief  —  only  a  span  of 
twenty -seven  years  —  if  measured  by 
the  calendar,  but  if  measured  by  its 
32 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

achievements  it  would  seem  to  have 
been  one  of  unusual  duration.  The 
calendar  only  indicates  the  length  of 
lives  not  great  in  results.  Great  lives 
are  often  crowded  into  few  years. 

It  was  a  matter  of  profound  regret, 
not  only  with  Marie  herself  but  with 
many  friends,  that  her  father  died  be- 
fore his  cherished  daughter,  in  whom 
he  had  such  interest  and  pride,  and 
of  whom  he  expected  so  much,  had 
achieved  her  triumphant  success.  But 
her  mother  lived  until  after  her  daugh- 
ter became  famous  in  song,  her  death 
not  occurring  until  since  that  of  her 
daughter.  Surviving  Marie,  were  her 
brothers  and  sisters,  viz:  Don  von  Eis- 
ner, Byron  von  Eisner,  Emma  von 
Eisner,  and  Jessie  von  Eisner.  Bay- 
ard von  Eisner  died  at  the  age  of  ten 
years.  That  was  the  first  death  in  the 
33 


LlTTA 

family.  Since  then  Don  von  Eisner 
died  in  Bloomington,  the  city  of  his 
birth.  Of  splendid  physique,  he  was  a 
fine  appearing  and  manly  young  man. 
Like  other  members  of  his  family  he 
was  a  musician  of  rather  unusual  at- 
tainments. The  cornet  was  his  favor- 
ite instrument  and  when  he  chose  to 
play,  as  he  often  did,  he  was  heard 
with  much  pleasure  and  interest.  His 
early  death  was  much  regretted.  By- 
ron von  Eisner  was  until  recently  living 
in  Chicago  and  perhaps  devotes  more 
of  his  time  to  business  than  to  music. 
Emma  von  Eisner  is  also  now  a  resi- 
dent of  Chicago.  She  is  gifted  with  a 
good  degree  of  musical  talent  and  is 
now,  or  was,  engaged  with  the  Metro- 
politan Conservatory  of  Music  in  that 
city.  She  is  said  to  have  a  fine  voice. 
It  is  a  matter  of  much  gratification 
34 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

to  the  friends  of  her  distinguished 
sister  that  Miss  Emma  gives  promise 
of  being  able  to  achieve  success  in  her 
chosen  profession.  The  other  surviv- 
ing sister  is  Jessie  von  Eisner.  It  was 
the  expectation  of  her  friends,  she 
might  become  quite  noted  in  song, 
but  neither  her  voice  nor  her  musical 
talents  have  been  fully  developed,  so 
it  can  not  yet  be  known  what  measure 
of  success  she  may  achieve.  She  is  at 
present  a  resident  of  Brussels.  All  of 
the  brothers  and  sisters  possessed  en- 
dowments of  no  mean  capacity,  that 
make  them  a  rather  noted  family. 

In  the  family,  when  the  children 
were  all  young,  Litta's  name  was  Ma- 
rie, but  was  pronounced  as  though 
written  Maria.  Her  school  advantages 
were  limited  and  came  from  the  com- 
mon schools  in  the  localities  where  her 
35 


LlTTA 

parents  resided;  but  that  part  of  her 
education,  especially  in  the  languages 
and  literature,  that  was  most  valua- 
ble to  her,  was  imparted  by  private  in- 
struction, perhaps  in  Cleveland  and 
Paris.  When  still  quite  young  she 
developed  mentally  and  physically  into 
beautiful  womanhood.  She  was  of  me- 
dium height,  with  form  rather  slight 
but  graceful,  her  complexion  delicately 
fair;  her  hair  was  quite  heavy,  having 
a  very  light  tinge  of  brown,  not  blonde 
perhaps,  but  rather  light;  her  eyes  were 
blue,  neither  large  nor  small,  through 
which  when  under  emotion  her  soul 
found  strange  expression.  Although 
her  mouth  was  large,  it  was  not  an  un- 
becoming feature.  It  may  be  said  all 
her  features  were  cast  in  the  finest 
mould  and  her  social  worth  was  of  the 
best  and  purest.  From  tender  child- 
36 


THE  VON  ELSNERS 

hood  to  maturity  she  was  gentle,  lov- 
ing, and  kind.  At  the  dedication  of  the 
monument  erected  by  friends  at  her 
grave,  Senator  David  Davis,  who  pre- 
sided at  the  ceremonies,  paid  a  grace- 
ful tribute  to  her  expressed  in  beautiful 
words,  when  he  said  "To  Litta  the  wo- 
man first  whose  virtues  shine  out  with 
lustre  on  her  sex,  and  to  Litta  the 
artist  second  whose  eminence  is  our 
local  legacy,  we  are  here  to  offer  the 
tribute  of  our  respect,  of  our  admi- 
ration, and  of  our  affection."  That 
success  which  at  last  crowned  her  pro- 
fessional life  brought  with  it  no  pride 
of  position  —  if  anything  she  became 
more  gentle  and  loving.  When  she 
stood  in  the  presence  of  thousands  and 
heard  the  wildest  applause  it  was  not 
of  herself  she  thought  but  of  those  she 
loved — especially  of  her  father.  It 

37 


LlTTA 

would  have  been  a  source  of  the  great- 
est satisfaction  if  her  father  could 
have  survived  to  have  witnessed  the 
homage  paid  to  her  genius  and  her 
triumph  in  song.  But  she  had  a 
measure  of  compensation  in  that  her 
mother,  brothers,  and  sisters  were  per- 
mitted to  share  in  her  glory  and  in  her 
newly-achieved  fame. 


II. 

A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER. 


It  was  the  beginning  of  her  life  work. 


"Her  sun  rose  through,  clouds  in  the 
morning." 


A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER. 

THAT  course  of  musical  study  which 
was  to  fit  Litta  for  her  life  work 
was  entered  upon  when  she  was  a  mere 
child,  and  pressed  with  unusual  vigor 
until  her  genius  and  ability  in  the 
divine  art  of  music  was  acknowledged 
both  in  Europe  and  America.  Her 
natural  gifts  made  her  instruction  in 
music  less  difficult  and  comparatively 
an  easy  task.  In  her  early  years  her 
father  was  her  only  teacher  —  a  work, 
he  was  eminently  fitted  for  so  far  as 
teaching  the  science  of  music  was  con- 
cerned. It  may  be  he  was  in  no  great 
degree  skilled  in  teaching  voice  culture. 
That  was  a  work  that  had  to  be  done 
mainly  by  others,  professional  teach- 
ers of  that  wonderful  art.  The  devo- 
4' 


LlTTA 

tion  of  the  father  to  his  little  daughter 
in  her  tender  years  was  something 
wonderful.  He  had  faith  in  the  ability 
of  his  child  —  and  in  the  strength  of 
her  natural  gifts  to  achieve  ultimate 
success.  In  the  matter  of  her  musical 
education  he  became  an  enthusiast. 
That  was  about  the  only  thing  he  ever 
pursued  with  unfaltering  and  well 
directed  energy.  Nothing  was  left 
undone,  his  limited  means  would  en- 
able him  to  do.  As  yet  no  friends 
had  offered  him  any  assistance  to  se- 
cure such  training  as  would  develop 
her  wonderful  natural  vocal  powers. 
He  understood  and  certainly  had  a 
higher  appreciation  of  her  capabilities 
than  any  one  else,  and  anticipated 
more  confidently  the  possibilities  that 
awaited  her.  His  faith  never  faltered 
no  matter  what  difficulties  he  encoun- 
42 


A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER 

tered.  Others  with  less  hope  and 
courage  would  have  gone  down  in  de- 
spondency under  such  discouraging- 
circumstances.  The  world  owes  him  a 
debt  of  gratitude  for  his  unwavering 
faith  in  the  powers  of  his  gifted  daugh- 
ter, and  his  heroic  efforts  to  develop 
that  voice  that  afterwards  charmed 
unnumbered  thousands  in  Europe  and 
America  with  the  pathos  of  her  song. 
A  more  sublime  devotion  to  a  single 
purpose  was  rarely  ever  witnessed  any- 
where in  any  age.  It  became  the  rul- 
ing passion  of  his  life.  Everything  else 
was  subordinated  to  the  one  purpose 
to  develop  the  extraordinary  musical 
talents  which  he  believed  she  pos- 
sessed. 

He  commenced  teaching  her  when 
she  was  a  mere  child,  and  never  ceased 
until  she  crossed  the  ocean  to  com- 
43 


LlTTA 

plete  her  education  with  the  great 
masters  in  the  old  world.  He  took  her 
to  all  places  where  he  thought  her 
gifts  and  talents  would  be  appreciated. 
On  one  occasion,  it  is  said,  he  took 
her  to  that  noted  prima  donna,  Clara 
Louise  Kellogg.  At  the  close  of  an 
entertainment  given  in  this  city,  he 
solicited  and  was  granted  the  privilege 
for  his  child  to  sing  before  that  queen 
of  song.  The  child  was  timid  in  that 
distinguished  presence  and  perhaps  did 
not  do  herself  justice.  On  being  en- 
quired of  concerning  the  capacity  of 
the  little  singer,  Miss  Kellogg's  judg- 
ment was  neither  very  favorable  nor 
yet  at  all  discouraging.  She  thought 
Marie  had  a  "sweet  voice."  It  is  said 
she  added  the  remark,  her  friends 
must  not  expect  too  much  from  her 
future.  It  is  by  no  means  certain  Miss 
44 


A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER 

Kellogg  is  correctly  reported  in  this 
respect.  Persons  really  great  them- 
selves are  always  most  liberal  and 
generous  in  their  appreciation  of  the 
efforts  of  others  to  rise  into  distinction 
in  the  same  profession.  It  is  not  prob- 
able that  one  so  gifted  as  Miss  Kellogg 
would  speak  discouragingly  to  a  poor 
child  with  a  "sweet  voice."  No  criti- 
cism ever  so  unfavorable  affected  in 
the  least  degree  her  father's  faith 
in  the  ultimate  success  of  his  child. 
Often  strange  things  come  to  pass 
in  a  brief  time.  The  future  is  full  of 
surprises.  Unknown  persons  suddenly 
rise  to  positions  of  note  in  an  incredi- 
bly short  time.  It  was  not  long  before 
that  timid  little  singer  that  waited 
before  that  justly  proud  prima  donna 
for  a  word  that  would  give  hope  to  her 
heart,  herself  became  one  of  the  most 
45 


LlTTA 

famous  singers  on  the  American  con- 
tinent. She  soon  come  to  have  a  posi- 
tion among  noted  artists  second  to 
none.  It  was  a  practice  with  her 
father  when  Marie  was  yet  a  mere 
child  to  have  her  sing  in  parlors  where 
friends  had  met  to  hear  her,  and  in 
larger  private  gatherings,  and  she  was 
always  heard  with  the  greatest  de- 
light. Probably  her  first  appearance 
before  what  might  be  termed  a  public 
audience  was  before  an  assemblage  of 
volunteer  soldiers  at  Springfield,  Illi- 
nois, in  1861.  Marie  was  then  only  five 
years  of  age.  She  sang,  "  'Tis  the  Last 
Rose  of  Summer."  A  little  timid  girl, 
unattended  by  a  mother  or  other 
female  protector,  in  a  camp  of  brave 
soldiers  was  an  unusual  sight.  No 
doubt  it  may  have  brought  to  many 
the  recollection  of  a  little  sister  or 
46 


A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER 

daughter  in  the  home  they  had  just 
left.  As  she  stood  alone  in  the  midst 
of  those  brave  and  stalwart  young- 
men,  clad  in  the  dress  of  soldiers,  and 
who  were  drilling  for  the  deadly  con- 
flict on  the  field  of  battle,  she  sang  in 
clear,  sweet,  and  plaintive  tones  the 
beautiful  words  of  one  of  Moore's 
sweetest  verses, 

"Since  the  lovely  are  sleeping, 
Go  sleep  thou  with  them." 

Among  all  those  brave  men  who 
heard  her,  there  was  probably  no  heart 
that  was  not  deeply  and  tenderly 
touched.  It  may  be  it  occurred  to 
many  of  them,  they  had  heard  for  the 
last  time  those  tender  words.  And 
such  proved  to  be  true  with  many  of 
them.  The  scene  was  an  impressive 
one.  A  sudden  stillness  came  over 
that  gathering  of  brave  men.  They 

47 


LlTTA 

wanted  to  hear  every  word  she  ut- 
tered. And  then  in  still  more  plaintive 
tones  she  sang  those  other  words  of 
deepest  pathos, 

"So  soon  may  I  follow 

When  friendships  decay, 
And  from  love's  shining  circle 
The  gems  drop  away." 

It  was  not  unmanly  or  unsoldierly 
that  among1  the  many  hundreds  that 
stood  around  that  little  girl  and  heard 
her  sing  in  the  sweet  tones  of  her  child 
voice,  there  were  few,  if  any,  whose 
eyes  were  not  dimmed  with  tears. 
They  called  her  the  "child  wonder," 
and  presented  her  with  a  beautiful 
present,  appropriately  inscribed. 

On  many  occasions  her  sweet  voice 
was  heard  in  song  in  public  places  in 
her  native  city,  and  perhaps  many 
times  in  the  Academy  of  Music  —  a 
beautiful  little  auditorium  since  de- 
48 


A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER 

stroyed  by  fire.  It  now  become  im- 
portant to  introduce  Marie  into  a  new 
and  wider  circle  of  more  influential 
friends,  that  she  might  become  better 
and  more  generally  known  to  the  pub- 
lic. Her  voice  had  become  perceptibly 
stronger,  and  showed  distinctly  the 
effects  of  well  directed  voice  culture. 
When  about  the  age  of  fourteen  years 
her  father,  and  perhaps  her  mother, 
who  was  intensely  interested  with  her 
husband  in  the  development  of  their 
child's  wonderful  vocal  powers,  took 
her  to  Chicago,  Cleveland,  and  New 
York.  In  each  of  these  cities  she  sang 
quite  often  and  received  the  enthusi- 
astic approbation  of  all  who  heard  her 
—  especially  she  was  favorably  received 
in  Cleveland  by  people  of  the  same  na- 
tionality with  her  father.  Her  singing 
in  these  several  cities  brought  some 
49 


LlTTA 

income  —  perhaps  enough  to  defray 
expenses.  At  Cleveland  von  Eisner 
became  acquainted  with  Dr.  Underner. 
This  very  kind  gentleman  soon  took  a 
great  interest  in  Marie.  He  was  at 
the  head  of  a  conservatory  of  music  in 
that  city,  and  he  at  once  most  gener- 
ously undertook  to  aid  in  perfecting 
the  musical  education  of  the  wonder- 
ful young  singer.  Later,  when  Marie 
was  perhaps  sixteen  years  of  age,  Dr. 
Underner  entered  into  a  contract  with 
his  pupil  to  give  her  instruction  in 
music  for  five  years,  in  consideration 
of  which  he  was  to  have  to  himself  the 
benefit  of  the  last  two  years.  That 
contract,  a  writer  says,  was  signed 
by  Madame  von  Eisner  because  her 
daughter  was  under  that  age  when 
she  could  legally  contract.  It  is  not 
probable  that  much,  if  anything,  was 
5° 


A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER 

done  under  that  contract.     It  is  cer- 
tain it  was  not  carried  out. 

Shortly  after  the  making-  of  the  con- 
tract it  was  determined  to  send  Marie 
to  Europe  for  better  instruction  than 
it  was  thought  could  be  procured  for 
her  in  this  country.  Although  the  con- 
tract was  abandoned,  Dr.  Underner 
never  lost  interest  in  his  pupil.  He 
was  ever  a  faithful  and  valued  friend, 
and  his  kind  offices  in  behalf  of  Marie 
will  ever  be  appreciated  by  her  friends. 
The  question  as  to  how  to  raise  suffi- 
cient funds  to  defray  her  expenses 
that  now  arose,  was  thought  to  pre- 
sent some  difficulty.  It  was  at  first 
proposed  to  raise  the  necessary  funds 
by  subscription.  But  the  necessity 
for  resorting  to  that  expedient  was 
soon  obviated.  In  that  crisis  a  very 
generous  friend,  Mr.  A.  B.  Hough,  of 
5' 


LlTTA 

Cleveland — a  very  ardent  admirer  of 
the  talents  of  Marie  —  came  forward, 
and  with  a  liberality  seldom  met  with 
anywhere,  offered  to  and  did  advance 
the  entire  amount  necessary  to  de- 
fray all  her  expenses  —  a  sum  of  no 
inconsiderable  proportions.  No  one 
enquired  of,  seemed  to  know  whether 
Mr.  Hough  exacted  any  promise  from 
Marie  or  her  friends  to  repay  the 
money  advanced  by  him  on  her  ac- 
count. It  is  not  probable  one  so  gen- 
erous as  Mr.  Hough  would  have  taken 
anything  from  the  earnings  of  this 
poor  child  of  genius  had  she  offered 
to  repay  him.  Such  noble  acts  are  not 
done  for  money  considerations.  But 
whether  Mr.  Hough  was  to  be  repaid 
or  not,  his  name  will  ever  be  held  in 
affectionate  remembrance,  not  only  by 
the  close  friends  of  Litta  but  by  all 
52 


A  PUPIL  OF  HER  FATHER 

who  in  any  land  were  touched  and 
made  happier  by  her  sweet  song.  His 
name  will  be  imperishably  connected 
with  hers  through  all  time,  and  wher- 
ever her  name  is  mentioned  as  one  of 
America's  greatest  artists  in  music, 
benedictions  will  be  invoked  to  rest 
upon  her  generous  benefactor  —  Mr. 
A.  B.  Hough.  Such  men  are  an  honor 
to  the  race. 


III. 

A  QUEEN  OF  SONG. 


"By  a  life  laborious  and  heroic  her 
girlhood  witnessed  the  triumph  of  her 
genius." 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG. 

ON  the  25th  of  October,  1874,  Marie 
sailed  for  Europe  to  enter  upon 
a  course  of  study,  it  was  expected 
would  complete  her  musical  education. 
She  was  then  not  much  more  than  a 
child  in  years.  Slender  and  rather  deli- 
cate in  person,  but  heroic  in  her  purpose 
to  overcome  all  difficulties  and  answer 
the  expectations  of  her  friends  and 
especially  of  her  father  and  mother. 
It  is  not  known  whether  on  the  vessel 
that  carried  her  across  the  ocean  there 
was  anyone  she  had  ever  known  or  seen 
before,  except  Dr.  Underner  who  was 
with  her.  It  was  the  first  time  she  had 
ever  been  on  the  sea.  It  must  have 
been  a  lonely  voyage  for  one  so  young 
and  one  so  unaccustomed  to  be  sepa- 
57 


LlTTA 

rated  from  parental  affection.  But 
after  all  it  is  probable  the  music  of  the 
deep  sea  in  its  ceaseless  swelling  and  re- 
ceding must  have  been  a  solace  to  her 
soul  that  no  companionship  of  persons 
could  have  brought  to  her.  Otherwise 
her  voyage  would  have  been  depress- 
ingly  lonely.  There  is  a  grandeur  in  the 
ever  restless  strong  and  ceaseless  mo- 
tion of  the  sea,  that  is  only  appreciated 
by  great  souls.  It  is  not  probable  that 
on  that  vessel  there  was  any  one  who 
appreciated  the  music  of  the  sea  so 
much  as  did  this  child  whose  very  na- 
ture had  been  set  in  harmony  with  its 
sublime  music.  That  was  her  only  com- 
panionship on  her  journey.  It  seems 
that  in  some  way  Dr.  Underner,  ever 
thoughtful  concerning  her  welfare,  had 
secured  in  advance  the  kind  offices  of 
Mr.  Mapleson,  the  great  English  im- 
58 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

presario,  in  behalf  of  his  pupil  —  at  least 
she  received  much  attention  from  him. 
On  arriving  in  London,  Marie,  in  com- 
pany with  Dr.  Underner,  called  on 
Sir  Julius  Benedict  —  a  musician  of 
some  note  and  who  was  engaged  with 
Jenny  Lind  as  accompanist  and  musi- 
cal director  of  the  orchestra  during 
her  concert  tour  in  the  United  States, 
and  who  set  Bayard  Taylor's  ode  to 
music  and  adapted  it  to  her  voice. 

The  coming  of  Jenny  Lind  to  Amer- 
ica had  been  announced  by  Barnum, 
that  prince  of  advertisers.  Poets  had 
been  offered  prizes  to  write  her  praise 
in  verse.  A  prize  was  awarded  to  Bay- 
ard Taylor  for  the  best  welcoming  ode. 
It  was  afterward  sung  by  Jenny  Lind 
on  her  first  appearance  at  Castle  Gar- 
den. On  her  arrival  at  New  York,  on 
her  coming  to  America,  at  the  wharf 
59 


LlTTA 

where  the  vessel  landed,  as  she  walked 
down  the  gangway  she  was  greeted 
with  cheers  by  many  thousands  of 
the  most  cultured  ladies  and  gentle- 
men of  that  great  city.  Even  the 
incoming  of  the  vessel  on  which  she 
made  her  voyage  was  signaled  far  off. 
An  archway  made  of  flowers  had  been 
erected  under  which  she  passed  from 
the  gangway  to  a  carriage  in  waiting 
for  her. 

No  press  notices  announced  either 
the  going  or  the  arrival  of  Marie  in 
London.  She  was  poor  and  had  not 
yet  become  famous.  The  poor  have 
no  following.  Sycophants  follow  only 
after  distinguished  persons  and  after 
they  have  lost  position  they  abandon 
them  for  other  rising  stars.  When 
that  lonely  little  girl  reached  the 
wharf  at  London,  to  her  a  strange  city 
60 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

and  yet  a  stranger  people,  she  walk- 
ed down  the  gangway  from  the  ves- 
sel unnoticed  by  any  one  of  the  many 
whom  she  met  and  passed  and  yet  that 
lonely  young  girl  was  destined  soon  to 
be  heard  in  song  on  both  sides  of  the 
ocean  with  nearly  as  much  enthusiasm 
as  was  Jenny  Lind  herself.  When  she 
became  great  her  following  was  also 
great.  On  hearing  her  sing  Sir  Julius 
Benedict  pronounced  her  voice  '  'a  beau- 
tiful gift  of  nature" — a  natural  gift 
that  most  probably  came  to  her  by 
heredity  from  her  mother.  On  reflec- 
tion Sir  Julius  Benedict  recommended 
her  to  place  herself  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Madame  Viardot,  in  Paris, 
which  she  accordingly  did.  On  ac- 
count of  some  unknown  reason,  it  was 
deemed  best  to  change  teachers.  It 
could  hardly  have  been  on  account  of 
61 


LlTTA 

any  want  of  confidence,  for  Madame 
Viardot  was  an  eminent  teacher  of 
music,  but  later  it  will  be  seen  she 
did  make  a  change  and  selected  as 
her  teacher — Madame  de  la  Grange. 
Nothing-  occurred  during  the  period 
of  her  study  in  Paris  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Madame  Viardot  that  is  worthy 
of  special  mention.  It  seems  her  whole 
time  was  engaged  in  the  study  of 
operas.  It  was  a  period  of  hard  and 
constant  labor,  and  one  of  most  in- 
tense anxiety,  whether  she  would  suc- 
ceed in  her  chosen  profession.  After 
a  course  of  study  covering  a  period 
of  a  little  more  than  a  year  she  was 
engaged  by  Mr.  Mapleson,  the  man- 
ager at  that  time  of  the  ''Drury  Lane 
Theatre,"  to  come  to  London.  There, 
under  the  management  of  Mr.  Maple- 
son  she  made  her  <?ehut  under  the 
62 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

name  of  Signora  Bronzini,  on  the  20th 
of  May,  1876,  in  Robert  le  Diable.  Ac- 
counts written  of  her  first  appearance 
in  London  would  seem  to  show  she  did 
not  meet  public  expectation.  Her  re- 
ception was  not  a  failure  by  any  means. 
The  critics  say  the  opera  —  Robert  le 
Diable  —  in  which  she  appeared  was  a 
very  difficult  one  and  not  at  all  suit- 
able for  a  debutante.  However,  she 
exhibited  such  ability  in  opera  as  gave 
promise  of  future  success  as  a  prima 
donna.  It  may  be  her  effort  was  not 
altogether  satisfactory  to  Mr.  Maple- 
son  —  it  is  certain  it  was  not  to  Marie 
herself.  At  all  events  it  was  deter- 
mined she  should  return  to  Paris  for 
further  instruction.  Although  involved 
perhaps  in  some  financial  trouble  about 
that  time,  Mr.  Mapleson  ever  after- 
wards observed  a  watchful  care  for 
63 


LlTTA 

Marie.  He  seems  to  have  had  faith  in 
her  ability  to  succeed  and  he  watched 
her  career  with  very  great  interest  as 
he  would  one  for  whom  he  entertained 
a  respectful  regard. 

On  her  return  to  Paris,  Marie  be- 
came acquainted  with  Madame  de  la 
Grange  who  afterwards  came  to  have  a 
great  admiration  for  what  she  termed 
her  "fresh  and  pure  voice."  A  writer 
says  that  at  first  the  Madame  was  not 
much  impressed  with  Marie's  voice  but 
after  repeated  efforts  before  her  new 
teacher  she  struck  a  few  notes  it  is 
said,  made  her  celebrated  teacher 
start  with  surprise  when  she  exclaimed 
"My  child  you  have  a  voice.  I  will 
make  a  great  artist  of  you."  Her 
teacher  encouraged  her  by  the  assur- 
ance she  had  "the  sacred  spark  and 
would  *  *  *  certainly  become  famous." 
64 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

Madame  de  la  Grange  at  once  became 
captivated  with  her  pupil  and  from 
that  time  on  took  her  under  her  care 
and  protection  and  afforded  her  gratui- 
tous instruction  until  she  made  her  first 
appearance  in  Paris.  Every,  day  the 
Madame  discovered  some  new  proofs 
of  genius  in  her  protigt.  The  second 
course  of  her  study  in  Paris  covered 
perhaps  a  period  of  another  year  and 
may  be  a  little  more.  The  instruction 
»  she  received  from  Madame  de  la  Grange 
was  thorough  and  most  improving.  It 
was  now  the  most  anxious  period  in 
Marie's  whole  life.  The  hour  was  nigh 
at  hand  in  which  it  would  be  deter- 
mined whether  she  would  succeed  or 
fail.  The  intense  anxiety  she  expe- 
rienced was  not  altogether  on  her  own 
account  but  on  behalf  of  good  friends 
in  America  and  in  Europe  who  had  so 
65 


LlTTA 

kindly  and  generously  furnished  her 
with  money  and  with  that  which  was 
of  still  more  value,  their  loving  sympa- 
thy. But  her  most  anxious  thoughts 
were  for  those  on  this  side  of  the  sea 
— her  father  and  her  mother  and  good 
friends  in  her  native  land.  She  was 
alone  in  a  strange  land  and  among  a 
strange  people.  No,  not  alone.  There 
is  a  strange  affinity  between  great  and 
noble  souls  that  soon  brings  them  close 
to  each  other.  It  is  akin  to  that  mys- 
terious attraction  that  exists  between 
the  magnet  and  the  steel — ever  seek- 
ing to  approach  nearer  to  each  other. 
Strangers  with  loving  hearts  came 
nigh  that  poor  American  girl  in  this, 
the  supremest  moment  of  her  life. 
to  strengthen  her  heart  and  bid  her 
have  hope  and  courage.  Blessings  on 
all  who  were  kind  to  her  in  that  hour. 
66 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

It  was  arranged  she  was  to  appear 
in  the  Theatre  des  Italiens,  in  Paris, 
where  she  would  appear  before  an  audi- 
ence of  the  elite  of  that  proud  capital 
city  and  before  the  most  accomplished 
musicians,  and  most  exacting1  and  mer- 
ciless critics  of  the  world.  It  was  a 
fearful  ordeal  through  which  she  was 
to  pass,  especially  for  one  so  young  and 
with  so  little  experience  —  it  would 
have  put  to  test  the  powers  of  the 
most  renowned  artist,  and  one  accus- 
tomed to  appearing  before  great  and 
exacting  audiences.  The  opera  she 
was  to  appear  in  was  Lucia  di  Lam- 
mermoor.  Most  keenly  she  realized  she 
was  to  achieve  fame  or  go  down  in  ob- 
scurity. No  doubt  she  approached  the 
stage  hesitatingly,  with  faltering  steps, 
and  with  alternating  hopes  and  fears; 
but  the  instant  her  foot  touched  the 


LlTTA 

boards  and  she  beheld  the  vast  assem- 
bly before  which  her  trial  for  fame  was 
to  be  made,  her  genius  asserted  itself 
and  the  grand  powers  of  her  soul  mani- 
fested themselves  in  every  feature  of 
her  countenance.  Hers,  thereafter, 
was  the  dominating-  mind  over  all  that 
great  presence.  Not  many  moments 
elapsed  before  she  had  achieved  a  fame 
destined  to  be  as  wide  as  is  the  musi- 
cal learning1  of  the  world.  She  over- 
came all  adverse  criticism.  Critics  who 
had  come  to  write  ill  of  her.  went  away 
to  write  only  admiration  of  her  splen- 
did achievements.  She  had  won  a 
crown  that  belongs  only  to  the  victor. 
And  what  emotions  must  have  filled 
the  soul  of  that  young1  girl  from  over 
the  sea  in  the  far  off  west  in  America. 
Not  many  of  all  who  composed  that 
great  assembly  had  ever  seen  her  be- 
68 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

fore.  They  were  strangers  to  her  and 
felt  no  special  interest  in  her  success. 
A  few,  however,  watched  her  every 
motion  and  listened  for  every  note 
and  one  especially  watched  her  with 
deepest  solicitude  —  that  was  Madame 
de  la  Grange,  her  latest  teacher.  It 
soon  became  evident,  her  pupil  had 
made  a  grand  success  which  brought 
her  the  greatest  satisfaction.  Pa- 
tiently she  had  instructed  her  and  af- 
fectionately she  had  cared  for  her,  and 
now  in  her  triumph  she  felt  she  had  a 
share  in  the  honors  paid  to  her  pupil. 
It  was  her  right  and  the  friends  of 
Litta  will  always  hold  her  teacher  in 
affectionate  remembrance.  The  appre- 
ciation of  the  audience  of  her  render- 
ing of  Lucia  di  Lammermoor  became 
more  and  more  evident  as  her  voice 
grew  in  power  and  compass  under  the 
69 


LlTTA 

pathos  of  the  exciting"  story,  she  was 
unfolding-  in  song.  After  the  "mad 
scene,"  which  is  ever  regarded  as  the 
crucial  test  of  the  powers  of  the  great- 
est artists,  she  was  called  before  the 
curtain  when  she  received  such  an  ova- 
tion as  was  seldom,  if  ever,  accorded  to 
anyone  on  any  occasion  in  the  old  Ital- 
ian Theatre.  The  honors  offered  her 
were  received  with  becoming  dignity  of 
manner,  and  by  common  acclaim  she 
was  now  crowned  "queen  of  song." 
That  was  the  first  time  she  appeared 
under  the  name  of  Litta.  Since  then 
she  has  been  better  known  as  Litta 
than  by  her  own  name.  It  is  not  prob- 
able she  is  known  among  musicians  very 
commonly  by  her  child  name.  Marie 
Eugenia  von  Eisner.  At  the  time  of 
her  first  appearance  in  Paris  her  real 
name  was  but  little  known  to  the  pub- 
7° 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

lie — it  was  too  distinctly  German  to  be 
very  popular  at  that  time  in  the  cap- 
ital of  France.  In  what  follows,  the 
name,  Litta,  will  be  used  instead  of 
her  real  name. 

The  Parisian  press  was  enthusiastic 
in  writing  her  praise.  There  was  no 
adverse  criticism  by  the  press  or  the 
most  fault-finding  critics.  Before  her 
t1f}>nt  some  had  thought  her  features 
were  not  comely  and  that  she  was 
wanting  in  graceful  action.  But  all 
that  disappeared  under  the  excitement 
incident  to  an  appearance  on  the  stage 
in  the  presence  of  an  immense  audi- 
ence. She  was  charmingly  graceful  in 
every  motion  and  her  features  wore  a 
fascinating  expression.  The  effect  of  her 
rendering  of  the  opera  Lucia  di  Lam- 
mermoor  is  pleasantly  told  by  a  Paris 
correspondent  of  a  New  York  jour- 
7' 


LlTTA 

nal  from  which  is  taken  the  following- 
excerpt:  '  'That  night  will  remain  in  the 
memory  of  every  one  who  was  present; 
no  greater  triumph  than  that  of  M'lle 
Litta  was  ever  known  even  within  the 
time  honored  walls  of  the  Italien  The- 
atre of  Paris.  Captious  connoisseurs 
started  with  amazement  as  the  purest 
soprano  voice  heard  for  many  years 
rang  through  the  building;  callous 
exquisites  were  surprised  into  an  emo- 
tion by  the  warm  life-like  impersona- 
tion of  Bellini's  ill-fated  heroine.  From 
act  to  act  the  success  of  the  debutante 
increased;  the  connoisseurs  hung  upon 
her  every  note  and  even  the  least 
scientific  of  the  hearers  felt  a  thrill 
which  followed  the  exquisite  modula- 
tions of  that  glorious  voice.  The  en- 
thusiasm became  general  and  swelled 
into  an  ovation  such  as  has  not  been 

72 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

known  since  the  days  of  Grisi.  There 
was  the  genuine  ring  and  not  the 
counterfeit  sound  of  a  hired  demon- 
stration. Cynical  critics  and  listless 
swells  joined  in  the  manifestations  of 
delight;  ladies  clapped  until  they  burst 
their  gloves  and  threw  their  own  bou- 
quets upon  the  stage.  Lifted  above 
her  doubts  and  fears  by  the  enthusi- 
astic reception  and  inspired  by  her 
theme,  Litta  surpassed  herself  and 
surprised  even  her  friends.  For  per- 
fect vocalization,  earnest  feeling,  and 
dramatic  power,  her  rendering  of  the 
mad  scene,  that  test  of  a  cantatrice, 
was  a  truly  wonderous  performance. 
Even  the  would-be  witty  critics  who 
had  at  first  endeavored  to  raise  a 
laugh  at  her  large  mouth — her  square 
shoulders  —  forgot  to  sneer  and  lost 
sight  of  her  physical  defects  and  sat 
73 


LlTTA 

absorbed  and  hushed  throughout  the 
thrilling1  scene.  When  the  curtain  fell 
the  entire  orchestra  rose  to  their  feet 
and  the  grand  songstress  who  had  held 
that  audience  under  the  charm  of 
her  talents  was  recalled  with  a  whirl- 
wind of  applause.  Such  a  scene  of  en- 
thusiasm is  rare  at  the  Italiens  whose 
polished  critical  habitues  are  seldom 
raised  to  such  heights  of  interest  and 
delight.  The  smiling,  enraptured  girl 
received  an  ovation  she  will  certainly 
remember  to  her  dying  day  and  at  the 
close  of  that  performance  found  her- 
self crowned  a  queen  of  song.  Her 
triumph  was  complete,  almost  unpar- 
alleled. *  *  *  The  young  American 
girl,  unknown  and  almost  friendless  the 
day  before,  had  risen  in  that  one  even- 
ing to  the  utmost  heights  of  musical 
fame." 

74 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

Writing-  of  Litta's  first  appearance 
in  Paris  at  the  Italiens,  Miss  Kate 
Field  said:  "It  would  seem  an  exagger- 
ation almost  to  state  with  what  enthu- 
siasm Mile  Litta  was  hailed  when  she 
finally  revealed  her  talent.  Even  the 
habitues  of  the  Italian  opera  in  its  hal- 
cyon days  can  remember  few  such 
scenes  of  excitement.  And  there  was 
the  true  ring  about  the  ovation  M'lle 
Litta  raised,  none  of  the  hired  applause 
with  the  elite  smiling  coldly  at  the 
venal  demonstration;  none  of  the  bou- 
quets bought  before  hand  and  thrown 
upon  the  stage  by  dummies.  No,  it 
was  all  genuine  admiration.  Ladies 
stood  up  in  their  boxes  and  burst  their 
gloves  clapping;  the  entire  orchestra 
declared  her  the  young  artist  with 
one  voice.  Elegantes  threw  upon  the 
stage  the  bouquets  they  had  brought 
75 


LlTTA 

with  them  and  held  through  the  even- 
ing-. Time  after  time  thundering  calls 
brought  the  young  American  lady  be- 
fore the  curtain,  blushing  with  heart- 
felt delight.  The  enthusiasm  increased 
as  M'lle  Litta  proceeded  with  her  fine 
impersonation  and  the  summnm  was 
after  the  scene  of  Lucia's  madness 
which  is  famous  as  one  of  the  most 
severe  tests,  not  only  for  the  singer,  but 
for  the  dramatic  artist.  M'lle  Litta 
went  through  the  crushing  ordeal  with 
inspired  energy  and  this  was  her  grand 
triumph.  A  very  whirlwind  of  applause 
burst  forth  after  this  hackneyed  scene 
which  the  new  star  rendered  really 
harrowing  by  her  life-like  action.  This 
final  ovation  set  the  seal  upon  her 
reputation  and  stamped  her  as  one  of 
the  first  artists  of  modern  times." 
After  her  first  appearance,  Litta 
76 


A  QUEEN  OF  SONG 

remained  at  the  Italiens  for  some 
months.  The  brilliant  success  achieved 
was  not  obscured  or  dimmed  in  the 
least  by  any  performance  given  after 
the  night  of  her  triumph.  A  writer 
says,  "all  Paris  flocked  to  hear  her  in 
her  different  roles"  in  which  she  gained 
new  laurels  in  each  performance.  Her 
fame  had  now  spread  through  the 
musical  circles  of  the  old  world  and 
across  the  sea  to  her  native  land  —  a 
land  she  had  left  so  recently  as  an  un- 
known student  of  music  and  to  which 
she  would  return  as  a  famous  prima 
donna. 


IV. 

A  SWEET  VOICE. 


"My  child,  you  have  a  voice." 

— Madame  de  la  Grange. 


"The  flute  song  in  the  mad  scene  dis- 
played Litta's  voice  at  its  best." 

— Press  Notice. 


A  SWEET  VOICE. 


AFTER  the  close  of  the  season  in 
Paris  and  a  brief  time  spent  at 
Vienna,  she  returned  to  America  in 
October,  1878,  under  the  management 
of  Max  Strakosch  —  a  distinguished 
manager  in  opera  and  concert  music. 
She  came  directly  to  Bloomington  — 
her  native  city,  where  her  mother 
and  family  still  resided.  Hugo  von 
Eisner,  her  father,  had  died  during  her 
absence  in  Europe.  Shortly  after  her 
return  to  her  home  a  reception  was 
tendered  her  by  Capt.  and  Mrs.  J.  H. 
Burnham  —  the  latter  her  cousin  —  to 
which  many  citizens  were  invited,  so 
both  young  and  old,  who  had  been  her 
friends  in  her  childhood  days  might 
come  near  her  and  renew  their  former 
81 


LlTTA 

loving-  acquaintanceship  with  her.  On 
that  occasion  brief  ceremonies  were 
had  intended  to  manifest  personal 
respect  for  her,  and  addresses  were 
made  in  which  graceful  tributes  were 
paid  to  her  on  account  of  the  eminent 
success  she  had  achieved  since  she  had 
left  home  as  a  mere  child.  At  that 
little  gathering  it  was  suggested  to  a 
close  friend  of  hers  it  would  be  a 
graceful  thing  to  do  to  present  Litta 
with  a  testimonial  that  would  evidence 
to  her  the  high  esteem  in  which  she 
was  held.  The  reply  was,  she  would 
appreciate  more,  any  offering  to  her 
mother  than  any  testimonial  that  could 
be  made  to  herself.  Accordingly  the 
matter  was  further  considered  and 
soon  sufficient  funds  were  raised  with 
which  a  neat  cottage  was  purchased 
and  presented  to  her  mother,  in  which 
82 


. 


A  SWEET  VOICE 

Litta  made  her  own  home  when  not 
engaged  in  traveling.  Later,  while 
still  at  home,  she  gave  a  concert  at 
Durley  Hall,  that  she  might  appear 
before  her  friends  among  whom  she 
had  lived  in  her  childhood  years.  The 
hall  in  which  she  sang  was  crowded  to 
its  utmost  capacity  with  her  imme- 
diate friends  and  those  who  had  been 
her  childhood  companions  constituting 
a  great  audience  who  had  often  heard 
Clara  Louise  Kellogg  and  other  famous 
singers.  It  is  not  mere  panegyric  or 
over-stating  the  fact  to  say  that  Litta 
suffered  no  disparagement  in  compari- 
son with  that  queen  of  song — Miss  Kel- 
logg. Her  friends  were  enchanted  with 
her  sweet,  clear,  and  ringing  voice  as 
heard  in  song.  There  was  not  one  in 
that  large  audience  but  was  as  proud 
of  her  achievements  in  music  as  though 
83 


LlTTA 

it  was  a  triumph  in  which  each  and  all 
of  them  had  a  part.  A  splendid  ova- 
tion was  accorded  her  which  she  greatly 
appreciated  as  it  came  from  her  child- 
hood friends. 

The  first  appearance  of  Litta  in 
America  in  opera  was  at  McVicker's 
Theatre,  in  Chicag-o,  on  the  16th  of 
November,  1878,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  Max  Strakosch,  of  which  men- 
tion will  be  made  later. 

Now  that  Litta  is  about  to  enter 
upon  her  tour  in  America  under  the 
management  of  Max  Strakosch,  it  may 
be  appropriate  to  enquire  what  un- 
usual gift  it  was  that  enabled  her  to 
achieve  so  large  a  measure  of  success 
—  not  only  in  her  home  land,  but  in 
foreign  countries.  She  was  not  only 
herself  poor  but  she  was  the  daughter 
of  parents  not  rich  in  material  wealth. 
84 


A  SWEET  VOICE 

Nor  had  she  any  rich  friend  or  friends 
in  high  position  who  would  lend  the  in- 
fluence of  their  station  to  enable  her 
to  secure  public  favor.  She  trod  the 
"wine  press  alone  *  *  *  there  were 
none  to  help."  Her  strength  lay  in  her 
indomitable  and  unfaltering  energy. 
In  that  respect  she  had  scarcely  a  peer 
anywhere.  But  what  was  the  secret 
of  great  success?  It  is  certain  her 
fame  did  not  come  from  mere  pane- 
gyric from  over-zealous  friends.  Under 
the  same  management  with  her  when 
she  made  her  first  American  tou,r,  were 
Miss  Kellogg,  Miss  Gary,  and  other 
noted  singers  and  who  sang  with  her  on 
alternate  nights  during  her  engage- 
ment in  all  the  great  American  cities. 
In  the  great  musical  centers  of  Europe, 
as  in  Paris,  Vienna,  and  other  great 
cities  she  sang  on  alternate  nights 


LlTTA 

with  Nilsson  and  other  famous  prima 
donnas.  She  must  have  had  high  merit 
to  have  sustained  herself  in  such  posi- 
tions. It  was  a  brilliant  galaxy  of  the 
greatest  singers  of  the  age.  It  is  not 
an  over-statement  of  her  great  powers 
to  say  that  Litta's  name  "led  all  the 
rest"  in  popular  favor  in  those  engage- 
-ments  in  which  only  great  artists  in 
song  participated.  "Wherever  she  sang, 
upon  her  was  placed  the  crown  of 
greatest  excellence.  It  will  be  seen 
she  was  heard  with  equal  pleasure  by 
non-professional  people,  who  care  very 
little  for  what  musicians  perhaps  call 
the  technique  in  the  execution  of  the 
music  itself.  That  of  course  is  much 
more  appreciated  by  professional  sin- 
gers and  teachers  than  by  the  unsci- 
enced  in  music.  But  in  that  respect 
she  was  not  wanting  in  high  qualifica- 
86 


A  SWEET  VOICE 

tions — taking-  rank  with  the  most  noted 
prima  donnas. 

A  critic,  competent  to  judge  of  her 
qualifications  in  this  respect,  writing 
of  her  said:  "Her  roundelays  are  exe- 
cuted with  wonderful  velocity,  and 
those  in  staccato  are  wonderfully  clear. 
Her  trills,  even  in  altissimo,  are  per- 
fectly clear  and  balanced;  her  tech- 
nique throughout  is  not  only  wonderful 
but  is  elegant  and  artistic — never  prej- 
udices the  tone,  is  not  characterized  by 
musical  artifices  which  are  so  common 
with  many  prima  donnas;  the  work  is 
thoroughly  legitimate. "  It  may  be  her 
distinction  did  not  come  from  acting  in 
opera  or  her  bearing  on  the  stage  in  the 
presence  of  the  public.  It  is  not  prob- 
able that  much  of  it  did.  But  while  it 
may  be  conceded  she  possessed  in  no 
great  degree  what  might  be  called 
87 


LlTTA 

"stage  action,"  yet  she  had  in  a  won- 
derful measure  that  simplicity  and 
naturalness  of  movement  that  lent  a 
charm  to  her  every  action  in  pleasing- 
contrast  with  "stage  posing."  One 
writer  in  speaking  of  her  said,  "Miss 
Litta  has  a  great  deal  besides  her 
beautiful  voice  to  recommend  her 
*  *  *  She  breathes  as  all  singers  ought 
to  breathe,  naturally  and  without  ef- 
fort, even  the  preparation  for  a  tour 
enforce  being  made  almost  impercep- 
tibly." Another  said,  "In  the  scene 
with  Henry  Ashton  she  was  listened  to 
with  keen  attention  and  her  acting 
and  singing  in  the  marriage  contract 
scene  were  admirable."  One  writing 
of  her  in  graceful  language,  referring 
to  her  personal  appearance  in  the 
title  role  of  "Lucia,"  in  which  she  made 
her  first  appearance  and  first  success 
88 


A  SWEET  VOICE 

in  Paris,  said,  "She  is  a  blonde  of 
statuesque  form  with  strongly  marked 
but  prepossessing-  countenance  and 
with  a  stage  presence  that  is  easy 
and  unaffected." 

A  New  York  Journal  none  too 
friendly  to  her  said,  '  'As  for  her  act- 
ing, the  nervousness  apart  from  an 
appearance  on  the  stage,  it  may  be 
safely  said  that  no  such  clever  and 
effective  work  has  before  been  done  by 
so  frail  and  youthful  prima  donna. 
Nothing  is  required  to  make  Miss  Litta 
a  very  great  artist,  but  physical 
strength  and  that  experience  which 
inevitably  comes  with  time."  It  must 
always  be  remembered  that  Litta  was 
born  in  a  western  village  and  lived  dur- 
ing her  childhood  years  among  a  people 
plain  in  their  habits  and  that  affected 
no  style  that  was  not  natural.  She 
89 


LlTTA 

was  simply  a  child  of  nature.  In  all 
her  acting-,  in  private  life,  and  in  all  she 
said  there  was  something-  that  is  in- 
describable that  lent  a  charm  to  her 
very  appearance  and  to  her  every 
movement  that  is  only  observed  in 
persons  of  natural  and  unaffected 
bearing.  In  early  life  she  knew  not 
how  to  act  only  as  nature  taug-ht  her 
and  that  is  always  graceful  and 
charming-. 

When  transferred  into  the  presence 
of  the  elite  of  the  proud  capital  of 
France  it  would  have  been  strange, 
indeed,  if  some  of  the  manners  of  her 
child  life  in  her  country  home  in  the 
west  of  America  did  not  appear  to  be 
lacking-  in  the  polish  and  elegance  of 
court  manners.  That  fact,  no  doubt, 
subjected  her  to  some  unfavorable  crit- 
icism. But  all  that  she  finally  over- 
go 


A  SWEET  VOICE 

come,  and  she  came  to  have  in  her 
acting  grace,  elegance,  and  ease.  It 
was  the  result  of  a  naturalness  and 
innate  simplicity  of  manners  that  come 
from  no  education.  It  was  the  un- 
affected style  of  a  child,  which  is  always 
beautiful  in  contrast  with  the  artificial 
manner  of  one  educated  under  rules 
framed  to  control  actions.  It  was  this 
child-like  simplicity  of  manner  that 
secured  for  her  much  flattering  com- 
mendation as  to  her  personal  appear- 
ance. She  was  appreciated  by  all  who 
loved  that  which  was  beautiful  and 
true  in  nature,  rather  than  that  which 
is  artificial  and  false  in  character.  Fi- 
nally these  simple  traits  in  her  charac- 
ter caused  her  to  be  much  admired  by 
the  most  cultured  people.  It  was  that 
which  invested  her  with  a  dignified 
and  pleasing  bearing,  even  in  the  pres- 
9i 


LlTTA 

ence  of  the  nobility  of  the  old  world. 
But  there  is  to  be  added  to  all  this  the 
fact  she  was  attractive  in  form  and 
features.  Photographs  of  the  Stra- 
kosch  Opera  Company  of  1879  were 
taken  in  a  group,  among  whom  were 
Miss  Gary,  Litta,  and  Miss  Kellogg. 
Litta  is  the  central  figure  and  the 
other  members  of  the  company  are 
grouped  around  her,  Miss  Gary  and 
Miss  Kellogg  nearest  to  Litta.  She 
was  the  youngest  of  the  group  and  in 
comeliness  of  features  and  in  expres- 
sion indicating  most  thought.  Litta 
was  certainly  the  peer  of  either  of  her 
friendly  rivals  in  song,  in  that  cluster 
of  our  great  American  prima  donnas. 
But  after  all,  while  it  is  true  Litta 
had  much  else  that  gave  her  distinc- 
tion, it  was  her  voice  that  made  her 
famous  in  the  world  of  music.  Tech- 

92 


A  SWEET  VOICE 

nical  terms  known  to  musicians  are 
inadequate  to  give  any  clear  idea  of 
the  real  charm  of  her  voice.  The  great 
teachers  of  music  and  voice  culture  in 
Europe  and  America  on  hearing-  her 
sing-  for  the  first  time,  in  their  ex- 
pressions of  admiration  of  the  strange 
power  of  her  voice,  discarded  all  tech- 
nical phrases  and  spoke  of  it  in  the 
simple  words  of  the  heart  when  moved 
by  emotion — in  the  plain  words  of  the 
people,  that  means  so  much.  Sir  Julius 
Bededict,  on  hearing  her  sing,  pro- 
nounced her  voice  a  "beautiful  gift 
of  nature."  Madame  de  la  Grange,  on 
hearing  her  pronounce  certain  notes, 
exclaimed  with  unconcealed  emotion, 
"My  child,  you  have  a  voice."  It  was 
common  with  these  great  teachers 
whose  experience  had  taught  them  to 
listen  even  for  a  single  note  that  would 
93 


LlTTA 

indicate  the  power  or  worth  of  a  voice 
to  speak  of  Litta's  voice  as  "fresh 
and  pure,"  and  as  though  this  was  not 
expressive  enough,  they  called  her's  a 
"sweet  voice."  The  consensus  of  pub- 
lic opinion,  both  professional  and  non- 
professional,  was  in  accord  in  respect 
to  the  charming  and  fascinating  power 
of  her  voice  as  will  appear  from  the 
following  excerpts  taken  from  contem- 
porary notices  in  the  great  journals  of 
the  period  —  musical  and  others: 

"Her  voice  is  high  soprano,  good 
and  true;  strong,  fluent,  and  generally 
brilliant — a  very  serviceable,  effective, 
and  noble  voice,  capable  of  doing  ad- 
mirable work. "  '  'Miss  Litta  has  a  voice 
of  unusual  sweetness  and  purity,  every 
tone  is  as  clear  and  true  as  those  of  a 
flute."  "Her  voice  is  one  of  remark- 
able sweetness  and  roundness  in  all  the 
94 


A  SWEET  VOICE 

registers  and  is  very  agreeable  in  qual- 
ity and  of  more  than  ordinary  compass. 
The  most  salient  feature  of  her  voice 
perhaps  is  its  wonderful  flexibility  and 
in  this  respect  it  is  almost  phenomenal. 
Such  vocal  agility  in  fact  has  been 
rarely  witnessed  here  or  such  marvel- 
ous method  since  the  time  of  Labordi." 
"Miss  Litta  deserves  the  praise  lav- 
ished upon  her  voice  by  the  western 
press.  It  is  indeed  remarkable  for 
purity  and  eveness  of  tone  *  *  *  Her 
execution  is  wonderfully  fluent  and  ex- 
act and  she  surmounted  all  vocal  diffi- 
culties of  the  opera  with  perfect  ease." 
''Her  voice  is  one  of  extraordinary 
sweetness  and  power;  is  perfectly  under 
control  and  is  of  a  clear,  joyful,  bird- 
like  quality  quite  indescribable. "  '  'Her 
voice  is  not  only  very  agile,  but  it  is 
fresh,  limpid,  sympathetic,  and  remark- 
95 


LlTTA 

ably  even  in  its  emissions.  Her  inton- 
ation is  pure;  her  sotta-voce  almost  as 
fine  as  Nilsson's;  her  phrasing  clear  and 
intelligent,  and  she  never  descends  to 
trickery  or  artifice.  On  the  other  hand 
there  is  a  natural  simplicity  in  her 
style  that  makes  one  forget  her  art." 
These  notices  of  her  exquisite  and 
unusually  sweet  voice  might  be  multi- 
plied many  times.  They  appeared  in 
the  press  notices  of  her  singing  wher- 
ever she  appeared  in  all  parts  of  our 
country  —  especially  when  she  sang 
opera  in  the  role  of  * 'Lucia,"  in  Doni- 
zetti's great  opera,  "Lucia  di  Lammer- 
moor."  It  was  in  that  opera,  her 
voice  was  heard  at  its  best  and  in 
it  her  greatest  success  was  achieved 
both  in  Europe  and  in  America. 


V. 

WITH  THE  STRAKOSCH  OPERA 
COMPANY. 


"That  a  young  American  girl  so 
rarely  gifted  to  begin  with  has  attained 
such  artistic  excellence  is  especially 
pleasing." 


"In  the  mad  scene,  the  florid  music  of 
which  is  so  admirably  suited  to  her  voice, 
her  pure  ripply  tones  shaming  the  flute 
obbligato,  she  created  a  veritable  sensa- 
tion." 

— New  York  press  notice. 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY. 

IT  was  expected,  Litta  would  com- 
mence her  engagement  with  the 
Strakosch  Opera  Company  early  in  the 
fall  of  1878,  but  some  trouble  arose  be- 
tween Strakosch  and  Litta  and  her 
friends  in  reference  to  the  contract 
between  them.  It  seems  that  Stra- 
kosch had  secured  a  contract  from 
Litta  in  Paris,  before  her  return  to 
Amercia.  That  contract  was  thought 
not  to  be  at  all  favorable  to  her.  It  was 
especially  unsatisfactory  to  her  good 
friends,  Professor  Underner  and  Mr. 
Hough,  of  Cleveland.  It  also  conflicted 
with  the  contract  Litta  had  made  with 
Professor  Underner,  under  which  she 
was  sent  to  Paris  to  complete  her  mus- 
ical studies.  Under  that  contract  Pro- 

99 


LlTTA 

f  essor  Underner  was  perhaps  to  have  in 
a  measure  at  least  the  management  of 
her  singing  after  her  return  to  Amer- 
ica, whether  in  concert  or  opera  dur- 
ing a  series  of  years  definitely  agreed 
upon,  and  it  may  be  he  was  to  have  a 
certain  share  of  her  earnings  during 
the  time  mentioned.  The  exact  terms 
of  that  contract  are  not  definitely 
known  to  the  writer,  but  it  is  certain 
Professor  Underner  had  a  contract 
with  Litta  with  which  the  Strakosch 
contract  conflicted.  That  was  one 
cause  of  the  difficulty. 

The  Strakosch  Opera  Company,  as 
organized  for  the  season  of  1878-1879, 
was  a  most  brilliant  one,  and  contained 
among  its  members  such  noted  prima 
donnas  as  Kellogg,  Litta,  and  Gary 
and  other  great  singers  on  the  lyric 
stage  of  that  day.  It  was  the  desire 
100 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

of  the  friends  of  Litta  that  she  should 
make  her  first  appearance  in  America 
with  that  brilliant  troupe,  but  her 
friends  would  not  be  satisfied  that  she 
should  take  any  second  position  with 
that  or  any  other  company.  It  was 
an  objection  with  some  that  under  the 
first  Strakosch  contract,  Litta  would 
be  required  to  sing  second  to  Kellogg. 
Indeed  the  advertisement  of  the  troupe 
seemed  to  indicate  that  would  be  the 
case.  That  was  especially  unsatisfac- 
tory to  Litta's  friends.  But  Mr.  Stra- 
kosch explained  that  was  not  the  in- 
tention. The  arrangement,  he  said, 
would  be  that  Kellogg  would  sing  on 
one  night  and  Litta  on  another.  It 
was  further  explained  that  a  prima 
donna  is  accorded  a  first,  second,  or  an 
intermediate  place  by  the  hold  she 
might  take  on  the  people.  Accord- 
101 


LlTTA 

ingly  it  was  said  if  Litta  should  sing 
better  than  Kellogg  her  name  would 
appear  first  on  the  bills.  Afterwards 
Litta  became  a  great  favorite  with  the 
public  and  she  was  given  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity to  display  the  wonderful  powers 
of  her  voice. 

Happily  the  difficulty  with  Stra- 
kosch  was  adjusted  by  a  friendly  con- 
ference and  the  first  contract  made  in 
Paris  was  cancelled  and  a  new  one 
made  that  was  more  satisfactory  to 
both  parties,  and  also  to  the  friends 
of  Litta.  It  was  then  announced  that 
Litta  would  make  her  debut  in  Chicago 
in  the  role  of  "Lucia"  in  the  opera — 
Lucia  di  Lammermoor.  That  was  the 
beginning  of  a  brilliant  American  tour 
in  which  she  achieved  an  unpre- 
cedented success. 

Litta's  repertoire  consisted  of  all  the 
102 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

best  and  most  popular  operas,  but  she 
most  generally  selected  for  her  first 
appearance  in  any  of  the  great  Amer- 
ican cities,  "Lucia  di  Lammermoor," 
perhaps  because  she  was  more  favor- 
ably known  to  the  public  in  that  opera 
than  in  any  other.  It  may  have  been 
for  the  further  reason  it  was  a  favorite 
with  her  as  it  was  thought  it  afforded 
better  opportunity  for  the  display  of 
the  wonderful  flexibility  of  her  voice. 
The  announcement  that  Litta  would 
sing  "Lucia  di  Lammermoor"  with  the 
Strakosch  company,  at  McVicker's  The- 
atre in  Chicago,  created  a  sensation 
among  her  personal  friends  in  Cleve- 
land and  in  Bloomington.  Many  of 
Litta's  best  friends  lived  in  Cleveland 
and  she  was  always  very  grateful  to 
them  for  their  exceeding  great  kind- 
ness to  her.  While  always  remember- 
103 


LlTTA 

ing  her  Cleveland  friends  with  an 
unceasing  gratitude  and  often  men- 
tioned many  of  them  by  endearing 
names,  yet  wherever  she  went  in  her 
own  or  in  foreign  lands,  whether  in 
adversity  or  in  properity  her  heart 
turned  most  lovingly  to  her  native 
home,  humble  though  it  was,  with 
tenderest  recollection  of  what  it  had 
been  to  her  in  childhood  days  and 
in  a  most  touchingly  beautiful  letter 
she  wrote:  "Bloomington  is  my  home 
and  I  am  proud  of  it,  and  the  many 
kindnesses  I  have  received  from  the 
people  have  filled  my  heart  with  grati- 
tude and  I  say  frankly  that  there  is  no 
place  like  my  old  home,  home,  sweet 
home."  Would  that  these,  her  own 
loving  words  had  been  chiseled  deep 
on  that  column  that  marks  her  final 
resting  place  in  the  city  of  our  own 
104 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

dead,  there  to  endure  until  that  solid 
granite  itself  shall  have  become  dust 
in  the  air. 

As  the  time  for  her  appearance  in 
Chicago  drew  nigh,  delegations  in 
Bloomington  and  in  Cleveland  were 
preparing  to  go  to  that  city  to  hear 
her  sing.  It  would  be  her  first  appear- 
ance in  opera  in  America  and  her  close 
friends  in  both  cities  wished  to  be  near 
her  that  she  might  feel  their  sympa- 
thy and  have  courage  for  the  trying 
ordeal  through  which  she  was  to  pass. 
Barring  her  first  appearance  in  Paris, 
it  would  be  the  supremest  hour  in  her 
life.  It  was  in  her  native  land  and 
among  her  friends  that  she  was  to 
sing  for  fame.  It  was  a  brilliant  and 
magnificent  audience  that  came  to 
greet  her.  The  auditorium  was  filled 
to  its  utmost  capacity  with  the  best 
105 


LlTTA 

cultured  people  of  that  great  city  of 
the  West.  Miss  Kellogg1  occupied  a 
conspicuous  position  with  two  lady 
friends  in  a  box  on  the  left,  and  Miss 
Gary  sat  in  the  dress  circle  on  the 
right.  Miss  Marco  was  also  in  the 
audience.  Litta  was  younger  than 
either  of  those  distinguished  prima 
donnas  who  by  their  presence  graced 
the  great  assembly  before  which  she 
was  to  appear. 

From  thousands  of  warm  hearts 
went  up  a  silent  prayer  for  strength 
for  that  timid  but  gifted  child  of  song 
that  she  might  overcome  and  achieve 
a  grand  triumph.  Whatever  fears  and 
doubts  Litta  may  have  had  in  appear- 
ing before  that  distinguished  presence, 
like  her  experience  in  Paris,  the  mo- 
ment she  stepped  on  the  platform,  it 
was  evident  her  genius  was  superior  to 
106 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

her  apprehensions  and  that  grand  tri- 
umph her  friends  so  devoutly  wished 
for,  was  assured.  She  looked  like  a 
queen  of  song  and  her  friends  were 
never  so  proud  of  her  before.  She  had 
now  won  fame  on  two  continents.  Sel- 
dom, if  ever,  was  such  a  wild  ovation 
tendered  to  any  one  in  that  historic 
old  theatre  as  was  given  to  Litta  on 
that  occasion.  Among  that  vast  audi- 
ence that  rose  to  render  homage  to  her 
genius,  there  were  none  who  mani- 
fested a  more  sincere  and  earnest  ex- 
ultation over  Litta's  splendid  triumph 
than  did  her  distinguished  sisters  in 
song  —  Miss  Kellogg  and  Miss  Gary. 
No  words  can  convey  any  adequate 
idea  of  the  exciting  emotions  that  pre- 
vailed. It  was  a  wild  scene  that  ad- 
mits of  no  description.  Men  applauded 
and  ladies  waved  on  high  their  hand- 
107 


LlTTA 

kerchiefs  and  threw  their  bouquets  at 
her  feet.  The  press  recorded  the  com- 
mon verdict  of  all  who  heard  her,  with 
not  a  single  exception,  in  most  favor- 
able words  of  praise  of  her  splendid 
triumph.  One  of  the  great  dailies  of 
that  city  after  speaking  in  most  felici- 
tous terms  of  the  wonderful  flexibility 
of  her  voice,  has  this  to  say  further: 
"Her  finest  success  was  in  the  duo 
with  the  flute  in  the  last  act  which 
was  fairly  dazzling  in  fioriture,  es- 
pecially in  the  cadenza,  which  we  be- 
lieve La  Grange  wrote  for  her,  and 
created  such  furore  that  the  whole 
audience  arose  to  the  artist  and 
greeted  her  with  bravos  and  cheers. 
At  the  end  of  the  opera,  the  audience 
started  to  call  her  again  before  the 
curtain  and  give  her  a  parting  plaudit 
of  cheers.  The  writer  has  witnessed 
108 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

every  operatic  presentation  in  Chicago 
during-  the  last  twenty-five  years  and 
cannot  recall  a  similarly  enthusiastic 
scene."  The  entire  press  of  the  city 
were  in  accord  in  their  judgment  that 
Litta  had  shown  herself  one  of  the 
greatest  artists  of  the  age  in  music. 

After  the  close  of  the  opera  season 
in  Chicago,  the  Strakosch  company 
went  east,  and  it  is  probable  they  sang 
first  in  New  York.  It  was  thought  by 
some  critics  that  Litta  had  come  to 
New  York  at  an  unfortunate  moment. 
Gerster  had  been  there  and  achieved  a 
brilliant  success.  One  writer  said, 
"there  has  been  a  Gerster  fever  which 
has  not  yet  abated.  Even  if  Litta 
were  superior  to  Gerster  hardly  any- 
body will  be  ready  to  confess  it,  and 
Litta  will  have  to  conquer  obstacles." 
She  sang  in  the  role  of  Lucia  in  '  'Lucia 
109 


LlTTA 

di  Lammermoor"  and  she  did  "conquer 
obstacles."  She  "conquered"  every- 
thing, and  carried  that  vast  assembly 
of  cultured  people  that  had  come  to 
greet  her  in  that  greatest  city  on  the 
American  continent  as  if  by  storm. 
She  even  gained  a  victory  over  Ger- 
ster,  as  will  be  seen  from  the  following 
paragraph  contained  in  the  Dramatic 
News:  "There  is  indeed  all  this  differ- 
ence between  G-erster  and  Litta,  that 
one  is  a  finished  artist,  an  accom- 
plished fact,  while  the  other  is  a  bud- 
ding promise.  Five  years  hence,  if 
Miss  Litta  makes  the  progress  in  her 
art  which  in  the  natural  course  of  cir- 
cumstances she  must  make,  the  com- 
parison between  G-erster  and  herself 
will  be  all  in  her  favor.  Gerster  has 
reached  the  limit  of  all  she  can  ever 
be,  and  that  is  a  phenominal  light 
no 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

soprano.  Litta  has  a  voice  fully  as 
pure  in  quality  as  Gerster's,  but  of  a 
graver  and  more  powerful  timbre.  It 
must  increase  in  capacity  and  large- 
ness with  the  girl's  years."  After 
hearing  her  the  entire  press  of  New 
York  were  prodigal,  even  lavish,  in 
praise  of  Litta's  unfolding  in  song 
the  sad  story  of  Lucia,  the  "bride," 
as  told  in  Donizetti's  "Lucia  di  Lam- 
mermoor."  Her  method  was  espe- 
cially mentioned  as  excellent.  It  was 
said  of  her  "the  most  commendable 
of  all  her  good  musical  qualities  are 
her  phrasings  and  intelligent  expres- 
sion. For  so  young  an  artist  her  ac- 
quirements are  as  remarkable  as  her 
natural  gifts."  After  speaking  of  the 
rapture  with  which  she  was  listened 
to  in  the  marriage  scene,  the  New 
York  Herald  added,  "In  the  mad  scene 
in 


LlTTA 

the  florid  music  of  which  is  so  admir- 
ably suited  to  her  voice,  her  pure,  rip- 
ling  tones  shaming  the  flute  obbligato, 
she  created  a  veritable  sensation  and 
secured  the  general  verdict  that  in 
music  of  this  nature  she  leaves  scarcely 
anything  to  be  desired.  That  a  young 
American  girl  so  rarely  gifted  to  begin 
with  has  attained  such  artistic  excel- 
lence, is  especially  pleasing." 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  their  stay 
in  New  York  the  Strakosch  company 
went  to  Boston  to  sing  an  engagement. 
Litta  carried  with  her  many  pleasant 
recollections  of  New  York,  on  account 
of  the  favor  with  which  she  was  heard 
in  song  in  that,  the  principal  American 
city.  She  had  now  become  a  leading 
star  in  that  brilliant  troup.  One  writ- 
ing of  her  on  another  occasion  ran  a 
parallel  between  Litta  and  Kellogg,  in 
112 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

which  it  was  said,  "from  the  opinions 
expressed  by  our  most  musical  people 
there  seems  to  be  no  doubt  that  of  the 
two  great  prima  donnas  who  visited 
our  city  the  past  week,  Litta's  singing 
gave  far  better  satisfaction  than  Kel- 
logg's.  Of  the  two,  Litta's  stage  man- 
ner is  more  modest  and  pleasing,  while 
her  execution  of  difficult  passages  is 
unmistakably  superior.  That  Litta  is 
to  be  the  reigning  musical  star  of 
America  is  an  almost  assured  fact." 
Most  anxiety  was  therefore  manifested 
to  hear  her.  Her  coming  to  Boston 
was  looked  forward  to  with  much  in- 
terest. She  was  to  sing  to  the  cul- 
tured people  of  that  city,  for  the  first 
time,  and  as  her  fame  had  preceded 
her,  much  was  expected  of  her.  It  is 
only  recording  the  truth  to  say,  that 
expectation  was  not  disappointed.  It 
113 


LlTTA 

was  even  more  than  realized.  As  usual 
she  appeared  in  her  first  performance 
in  the  role  of  the  heroine  in  Lucia  di 
Lammermoor,  her  favorite  opera.  She 
captured  that  people — a  people  so  com- 
petent to  judge  of  excellence  in  music 
and  oratory.  They  had  often  heard 
the  master  minds  of  both  Europe  and 
America.  So  flattering  were  the  press 
notices  everywhere  that  Litta  was  led 
to  say,  she  seemed  to  have  a  good 
friend  in  every  newspaper  office,  and 
so  it  proved  to  be  in  Boston.  Rarely, 
if  ever,  did  she  have  said  of  her  so 
much  that  was  pleasing  as  by  the 
press  of  that  famous  city.  Not  an 
adverse  criticism  of  either  her  singing 
or  her  acting  appeared  in  any  of  the 
Boston  journals.  On  the  contrary, 
every  notice  of  her  first  appearance  in 
that  city  was  extremely  favorable  and 
114 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

gratifying  to  her.  In  one  of  them  it 
was  said,  "the  reception  given  to  the 
debutante  was  most  hearty  and  the  lady 
has  no  cause  to  complain  of  her  audi- 
ence upon  this  occasion,  as  every 
number  of  her  role  was  generously 
applauded,  recalls  frequent,  and  beau- 
tiful floral  tributes  were  presented  to 
her.  The  flute  song-  in  the  mad  scene 
displayed  Litta's  voice  at  the  best  and 
her  rendering  of  this  part  aroused  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  audience  and  a 
grand  demonstration." 

The  opportunity  is  much  appreci- 
ated to  reproduce  the  graceful  tribute 
paid  to  Litta  by  the  Boston  Journal  on 
that  occasion,  in  diction  as  elegant  as 
the  subject  matter  is  complimentary: 
"The  opera  Lucia  served  to  introduce 
to  our  public  the  young  American  so- 
prano, Miss  Marie  Litta.  "We  may  say 
"5 


LlTTA 

without  reservation  that  her  success 
was  of  the  most  gratifying  and  brilliant 
character.  It  required  but  little  in 
her  opening  scene  to  convince  the  au- 
dience that  she  possessed  great  merit 
and  the  good  impression  she  created 
thus  early  in  the  opera  was  deepened 
and  strengthened  as  the  performance 
progressed;  in  the  mad  scene  she  was 
heard  at  her  best  for  the  reason  its  de- 
mands are  greatest.  The  aria  with 
the  flute  obbligato  was  rendered  with 
the  utmost  grace  and  nicety  of  execu- 
tion and  so  was  the  number  that  fol- 
lowed. In  addition  to  the  applause 
which  generously  rewarded  her  efforts 
at  the  time,  there  was  a  grand  ovation 
at  the  end  of  the  scene  when  the  young 
artist  was  again  and  again  called  out. 
As  an  actress  she  displayed  great  in- 
telligence, if  not  all  the  freedom  and 
116 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

skill  that  will  follow  a  great  stage  ex- 
perience. In  brief,  Litta  won  a  gen- 
uine success."  The  Boston  Advertiser 
very  pleasantly  said  of  her,  "Miss 
Litta,  a  young  American  prima  donna 
who  appeared  as  the  heroine,  was 
heard  on  this  occasion  for  the  first 
time  in  Boston  and  she  achieved  a  de- 
cided success.  *  *  *  In  her  singing  she 
showed  more  than  promise;  she  reached 
the  period  of  noble  achievement  *  *  * 
In  the  mad  scene  she  won  a  complete 
triumph  over  the  audience,  her  de- 
livery in  its  more  than  exacting  por- 
tions being  exceptional  for  excessive 
brilliancy  of  tone  and  freedom  of  exe- 
cution." Litta  left  Boston  with  many 
pleasant  recollections. 

The  itinerary  of  the  Strakosch  Op- 
era Company  embraced  all  the  larger 
cities  in  the  United  States  and  in  Can- 
"7 


LlTTA 

ada.  As  they  went  from  city  to  city 
it  was  in  fact  a  triumphal  tour  for 
Litta.  The  press  notices  everywhere 
were  much  alike  in  their  complimen- 
tary character.  Especially  in  Phila- 
delphia, Baltimore,  and  St.  Louis,  she 
was  received  with  great  favor.  It  was 
said  of  her  at  St.  Louis:  "Miss  Litta 
sang  beautifully  last  night.  The  audi- 
torium was  thronged  and  the  perform- 
ance was  a  glorious  triumph.  The 
music  of  the  composer  rose  from  her 
lips  in  silver  tones  and  was  character- 
ized with  all  the  earnest  soul  and  noble 
feeling  of  genuine  art.  This  is  the 
most  successful  of  all  Miss  Litta's  roles. 
She  charmed  the  audience  into  admi- 
ration at  the  very  start  and  carried  it 
to  the  close  of  her  part.  Every  solo 
was  enthusiastically  encored  and  at  the 
end  of  the  second  act  she  was  called 
.18 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

before  the  curtain  twice  and  after  the 
mad  scene  in  the  third,  the  tribute  of 
admiration  reached  three  calls." 

On  going  to  the  gulf  states  she  was 
heard  with  as  much  enthusiasm  and 
interest  as  she  had  been  in  the  North, 
where  was  her  native  home.  Crossing 
the  continent  she  sang  in  opera  at  San 
Francisco,  where  her  voice,  so  sweet 
and  so  full  of  expression,  created 
a  great  sensation  and  she  became 
the  most  popular  prima  donna  that 
ever  visited  the  Pacific  coast.  She 
sang  in  opera  as  far  north  as  Halifax 
and  as  far  south  as  Galveston.  Her 
fame  had  gone  before  her  to  all  these 
great  centers  of  population  and  cul- 
ture, and  in  none  of  them  was  there 
ever  any  disappointment  in  the  expec- 
tation raised  as  to  her  great  and 
wonderful  vocal  powers.  It  was  the 
"9 


LlTTA 

common  judgment  of  the  educated  and 
of  the  uneducated  in  music,  that  no 
description  of  her  voice  could  convey 
any  just  idea  of  its  thrilling  power  and 
of  its  wide  and  flexible  compass.  On 
all  occasions  she  surpassed  what  the 
public  had  been  led  to  expect  from 
her.  In  all  the  cities  visited  she  re- 
ceived from  the  people  nothing  but 
kindness,  for  which  she  was  most  grate- 
ful. The  attention  paid  her  in  Boston, 
New  York,  Baltimore,  Washington, 
New  Orleans,  Chicago,  San  Francisco, 
and,  indeed,  everywhere  else  where  she 
sang  was  often  recalled  by  her  with 
especially  pleasing  and  grateful  recol- 
lection. If  she  valued  the  polite  atten- 
tions paid  to  her  in  one  city  more  than 
another,  it  was  in  San  Francisco.  In 
that  great  city  on  the  far  off  Pacific 
coast  her  friends  presented  her,  two 
120 


STRAKOSCH  OPERA  COMPANY 

lovely  souvenirs,  which  she  gratefully 
appreciated.  One  of  them  was  a 
heavy  and  beautifully  wrought  chain 
of  Etruscan  gold  from  which  hung  a 
locket  thickly  crusted  with  diamonds. 


VI. 

CONCERT  TOURS, 


"The  music  of  the  composer  rose  from 
her  lips  in  silver  tones  and  was  charac- 
terized with  all  the  earnest  soul  and 
noble  feeling  of  genuine  art." 

— St.  Louis  press  notice. 


CONCERT  TOURS. 


IT  is  doubtless  true  that  Litta's  great- 
est successes  both  in  Europe  and 
in  America  were  achieved  in  opera. 
After  an  engagement  of  two  seasons 
with  Max  Strakosch  in  opera  in  Amer- 
ica, she  felt  constrained  to  give  it  up. 
But  she  always  expressed  a  greater 
liking  for  operatic  than  for  concert 
music.  It  is  probable  her  only  reason 
for  abandoning  opera  was  because  it 
was  too  expensive  to  conduct  an  opera 
troupe.  Very  large  houses  were  neces- 
sary to  even  pay  expenses  and  not 
very  much  was  ever  left  for  profits. 
Still  she  always  gave  in  her  concerts 
some  selections  from  the  most  popu- 
lar operas.  Undoubtedly  it  was  more 
profitable  to  abandon  opera — certainly 
125 


LlTTA 

in  America.  The  expense  of  a  first-class 
opera  troupe  and  maintaining-  it  is  so 
great  it  is  difficult  to  realize  from  en- 
tertainments given,  much  more  than 
actual  expenses. 

Jenny  Lind,  however,  from  choice 
abandoned  the  opera  and  during  her 
entire  American  tour  sang-  only  in 
concerts,  except  occasionally  like  Litta 
she  gave  selections  from  favorite 
operas.  She  did  not  abandon  opera 
because  it  would  not  be  profitable,  but 
it  is  said  it  was  done  on  account  of  re- 
ligious scruples.  It  would  no  doubt 
have  been  profitable  to  her  and  also 
her  manager  —  Mr.  Barnum.  Under 
his  managemen  almost  any  enterprise 
— certainly  any  business  that  depended 
on  public  patronage  would  be  money 
making  in  a  large  measure.  It  is  said 
there  was  much  disappointment  with 
126 


CONCERT  TOURS 

many  in  this  country  that  they  could 
not  hear  Jenny  Lind  sing  in  opera. 
But  Mr.  Barnum  was  distinctly  in- 
formed before  making-  the  contract 
with  her,  she  would  not  sing  in  opera. 
There  was  something  in  the  char- 
acters of  Jenny  Lind  and  Litta  that 
was  nearly  akin.  Both  were  extremely 
simple  in  their  tastes,  and  neither  of 
them  had  any  desire  for  pomp  and  cer- 
emony. By  nature  both  were  refined 
and  their  gentle  natures  were  culti- 
vated into  the  best  womanhood.  Both 
were  distinguished  for  their  kindness 
to  the  lowly  in  life,  and  especially  the 
poor.  Litta  was  often  photographed 
in  groups  of  eminent  singers  and  it  was 
plainly  perceptable  that  her's  was  the 
best  face  and  wore  the  kindest  expres- 
sion. It  is  known  that  photographs, 
especially  daguerreotypes  do  not  al- 
127 


LlTTA 

ways  look  like  the  subject.  Perhaps 
it  is  for  the  reason,  when  the  beauti- 
ful light  out  of  the  heavens  fall  on  a 
person  it  brings  out  some  image  of  the 
soul — the  real  man — which  the  camera 
seizes  and  retains.  It  is  then  some- 
thing is  discovered  not  before  seen  in 
the  face  photographed.  Hawthorne 
makes  one  of  his  characters — the  da- 
guerreotypist — say:  "There  is  a  won- 
derful insight  in  Heaven's  broad  and 
simple  sunshine.  While  we  give  it 
credit  for  depicting  the  merest  sur- 
face, it  really  brings  out  the  secret 
character."  Litta  was  very  cheerful 
when  surrounded  by  her  friends,  yet  in 
many — not  all — photographs  taken  of 
her  there  is  a  tinge  of  sadness  on  her 
features  that  seems  to  be  appealing 
for  sympathy.  What  that  expression 
was  is  not  susceptible  of  description. 
128 


CONCERT  TOURS 

Its  meaning  is  only  comprehended  by 
looking  upon  it.  Looking  now  upon  a 
photograph  of  her  after  the  lapse  of 
so  many  years  since  her  features  were 
seen  in  the  bloom  and  brightness  of 
her  youth,  that  same  look  is  still  there 
and  one  is  inclined  to  say,  poor  Litta! 
That  expression  is  most  distinctly  seen 
in  her  face  in  the  "Strakosch  group" 
and  in  another  group  with  a  concert 
troup,  where  her  head  is  slightly  in- 
clined to  one  side.  A  slight  indication 
of  the  same  expression  may  be  noticed 
in  the  frontis-piece.  There  is  also  a 
trace  of  that  strange  tinge  of  sadness 
in  some  few  of  the  photographs  taken 
of  Jenny  Lind  shortly  before  leaving 
America  for  her  home  across  the  sea. 
Was  it  sadness  or  only  weary  care? 
None  can  know  what  burdens  other 
hearts  bear. 

129 


LlTTA 

After  severing  her  connection  with 
that  brilliant  opera  company  under 
the  management  of  that  great  impres- 
ario —  Max  Strakosch  —  Marie  Litta 
devoted  her  later  life  work  to  concert 
sing-ing.  In  this  connection  it  is 
pleasing  to  recall  the  affection,  Litta 
bore  to  the  members  of  the  company* 
with  whom  she  had  been  associated. 
Whether  Mr.  Strakosch  was  at  all  times 
just  and  liberal  or  not,  she  only  had  the 
kindest  words  for  him.  Of  her  great 
sisters  in  song  —  Miss  Kellogg  and 
Miss  Gary  —  she  never  mentioned  their 
names  unless  in  most  loving  and  en- 
dearing terms.  Their  exceeding  great 
kindness  to  her  was  most  gratefully 
appreciated  by  Litta.  Her  engagement 
with  the  Strakosch  Opera  Company  run 
through  two  seasons,  and  after  leaving 
that  company  she  formed  a  new  com- 
130 


CONCERT  TOURS 

pany.  It  is  probable  that  company  sang 
in  opera  and  in  concert.  It  was  not  a 
prosperous  venture,  nor  was  it  an  en- 
tirely harmonious  company.  It  may 
be  that  company  as  first  organized  did 
not  remain  together  for  any  great 
length  of  time. 

In  her  concert  tours,  Litta  traversed 
the  United  States  from  the  Lakes,  south 
to  the  Gulf  and  across  the  continent 
from  sea  to  sea — singing-  in  all  the 
large  cities  and  in  many  villages. 
Wherever  she  went  she  was  greeted 
with  the  same  unbounded  enthusiasm 
as  when  she  sang  in  opera.  It  was  a 
continuous  triumphal  tour.  The  peo- 
ple and  the  press  were  in  accord  in 
rendering  homage  to  her  genius.  No- 
where was  that  feeling  more  grace- 
fully expressed  than  at  Saratoga. 
Writing  of  her  wonderful  voice,  it  was 


LlTTA 

said  by  one  who  had  heard  her  sing: 
'  'Of  Marie  Litta  we  can  speak  only  in 
terms  of  highest  praise.  Her  voice  is 
a  clear  and  beautiful  soprano,  of  ex- 
quisite quality,  that  even  her  pianis- 
simo passages  were  distinctly  heard 
throughout  the  large  hall,  and  her 
tones  have  that  indescribable  pathetic 
power  which  is  vouschafed  to  but  a 
few  singers  in  a  generation.  She  is  a 
genuine  artist  with  a  natural  genius 
for  moving  her  auditors  by  the  tones 
of  her  voice  and  uses  that  marvelous 
organ  with  the  most  consummate  grace 
and  skill.  Of  the  two  numbers  assigned 
to  her  on  the  program,  the  "Carnival 
of  Venice,"  by  Sir  Julius  Benedict, 
which  abounds  in  ornament  and  fiori- 
tura  was  rendered  with  a  power  and 
grace  which  brought  forth  round  after 
round  of  applause.  She  responded  to 
132 


CONCERT  TOURS 

the  demand  of  the  audience  by  singing 
a  stanza  of  "Home.  Sweet  Home,"  in  a 
manner  which  showed  how  genius  could 
adorn  even  the  most  familiar  air,  and 
was  greeted  with  the  same  universal 
plaudits  as  before." 

Like  the  press  notices  of  her  sing- 
ing in  opera,  the  notices  of  Litta's  con- 
certs might  be  multiplied  many  times, 
but  to  do  that  would  give  no  clearer 
idea  of  the  estimation  in  which  she 
was  held  by  the  public.  The  feeling 
manifested  towards  her  was  akin  to 
affection.  Among  the  many  hundreds 
of  press  notices  examined,  not  one  has 
been  found  that  contains  anything 
unkind  of  her.  Few  of  all  who  have 
appeared  on  the  lyric  stage  in  this 
country,  were  ever  so  kindly  appre- 
ciated. 

Although  Litta's  services  were  con- 

'33 


LlTTA 

constantly  sought  by  managers  so  that 
she  was  never  without  an  engage- 
ment, it  is  not  thought  she  ever  saved 
much  money  to  be  invested.  She 
earned  a  great  deal  of  money,  but 
her  expenses  were  correspondingly 
large.  Her  father  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  was  owing  many  small  sums 
which  in  the  aggregate  amounted  to 
quite  a  sum  of  money.  But  these 
debts  she  paid  even  to  the  uttermost 
farthing.  Not  a  claim  that  she  could 
hear  of,  whether  just  or  unjust,  was 
left  unpaid.  She  wanted  it  understood 
that  no  one  who  had  been  kind  enough 
to  help  him  in  money  matters  ever 
lost  a  dollar  by  so  doing  or  any  sum 
great  or  small.  It  is  probable  she  was 
not  herself  a  prudent  manager  of  her 
earnings,  which  were  quite  large.  But 
whether  she  had  good  business  qualifi- 
'34 


CONCERT  TOURS 

cations  or  not  she  had  no  time  she 
could  devote  to  such  matters  and  it 
was  unfortunate  for  her  that  she  did 
not  engage  a  good  financial  agent  to 
manage  her  business  affairs.  Her  last 
engagement  was  with  the  Slayton  Ly- 
ceum Company.  It  is  probable  that 
would  have  been  a  profitable  season 
had  her  health  continued  good  so  she 
could  have  performed  her  contract. 
Evidences  of  failing  health  were  dis- 
covered early  in  her  engagement,  in- 
duced, it  is  confidently  believed,  by 
overwork. 

After  her  return  to  America  from 
Paris,  Litta's  career  in  song  was  bril- 
liant, but  of  brief  duration — covering 
not  much  more  than  four  years.  It 
was1  however,  a  period  of  great  phys- 
ical exertion  and  of  intense  mental 
strain.  She  was  ambitious  to  accom- 
"35 


LlTTA 

plish  a  great  work,  and  to  enable  her 
to  do  that  she  undertook  more  than 
either  her  physical  or  mental  strength 
would  endure  with  impunity.  Con- 
scientious to  an  unusual  degree  in  all 
her  engagements,  she  was  over  anxious 
to  perform  them  and  could  not  be  in- 
duced to  take  needed  rest.  Of  all  who 
stood  in  close  relation  with  her  and 
had  in  a  measure  the  direction  of  her 
movements,  none  seemed  to  exercise 
more  good  judgment  than  Professor 
Underner  and  Madame  de  la  Grange. 
"When  Litta  was  with  Professor  Under- 
ner, her  father  wanted  to  take  on  a 
concert  tour,  but  the  professor  advised 
against  it  on  the  ground  her  health 
was  such  it  might  be  very  detrimental 
to  her.  Happily  his  advice  was  taken 
and  she  was  permitted  to  take  a 
needed  rest  of  some  months  duration. 
,36 


CONCERT  TOURS 

When  in  Paris  Madame  de  la  Grange 
saw  that  Litta  needed  a  vacation  from 
her  studies  and  she  compelled  her  to 
take  it.  It  would  have  been  well  for 
Liitta  if  she  could  have  had  the  provi- 
dent care  and  the  wise  instruction  of 
Madame  de  la  Grange  during  her 
American  tour. 

Later,  Litta's  friends  came  to  real- 
ize that  she  was  doing  too  much — more 
than  her  strength  would  bear.  It  was 
discovered  her  health  was  failing.  It 
became  a  matter  of  profound  regret 
that  her  managers  and  her  friends 
that  stood  nearest  to  her  did  not  in- 
terfere to  compellher  to  cease  from 
all  labor  for  a  time  at  least.  It  must 
be  confessed  the  public  are  not  always 
kind  or  even  just  to  noted  singers. 
Too  much  is  demanded  of  them. 
Burdens  are  too  often  laid  upon  it  is 
'37 


LlTTA 

neither  just  nor  reasonable  to  ask  them 
to  bear.  It  was  so  with  Litta,  and  yet 
her  generous  disposition  would  not 
permit  her  to  deny  any  request  in  the 
nature  of  a  public  demand.  That,  in 
part,  at  least,  brought  her  life  prema- 
turely to  at  end.  Constantly  she  was 
importuned  to  sing  for  the  benefit  of 
some  public  charity,  when  she  ought 
to  have  been  allowed  to  rest.  She 
was  beseiged  "in  season  and  out  of 
season"  to  make  donations  to  public 
objects,  such  as  libraries,  hospitals, 
and  other  charitable  institutions,  and 
most  often  she  complied  with  such  re- 
quests when  she  really  did  not  have 
the  money  she  could  spare.  She  said 
herself  she  was  constantly  in  the  re- 
ceipt of  letters  from  all  over  the  states, 
importuning  her  to  undertake  the  edu- 
cation and  maintenance  of  young  girls 
,38 


CONCERT  TOURS 

who  wished  to  study  music.  It  is  not 
doubted  she  had  applications  for 
charitable  gifts  far  in  excess  of  her 
earnings, — large  as  they  were.  And 
yet  in  another  way  the  public  were 
often  cruelly  unjust  to  her.  The  de- 
mand made  upon  her  by  encores  to 
sing  more — in  many  instances  double 
the  numbers  she  had  agreed  to  give  by 
her  program,  was  sometimes  oppressive 
in  a  very  great  degree.  Her  generous 
nature  would  not  allow  her  to  deny 
her  patrons  anything,  whether  just  or 
unjust.  The  consequence  was  she  felt 
constrained  to  sing  many  times  when 
she  really  did  not  have  strength  to  go 
through  with  the  advertised  program. 
This  constant  demand  made  upon  her 
by  the  public  wherever  she  went, 
soon  began  to  tell  on  her  strength. 
Nilsson  was  more  careful  of  herself  in 
139 


LlTTA 

this  respect.  On  one  occasion  when  it 
was  evident  from  the  expression  on 
her  face  she  was  suffering  from  ill- 
health,  and  when  encored  she  made  no 
appearance.  The  call  grew  louder  and 
still  more  imperative.  At  last  she 
came  back  on  the  stage  with  an  un- 
mistakable expression  of  anger  on  her 
countenance,  and  waiving  her  hand 
towards  the  audience  with  much  posi- 
tiveness  she  withdrew  from  the  stage 
without  singing  again  in  answer  to 
the  encore.  That  was  just  and  right. 
The  demand  made  by  the  public  upon 
famous  singers  for  so  much  more  than 
they  contracted  to  give  or  the  public 
had  paid  for,  is  unjust  in  the  extreme. 
No  lawyer  is  expected  to  try  two  cases 
for  his  client  for  the  same  fee  he 
agreed  to  try  one.  A  lecturer,  when 
he  has  agreed  to  give  one  lecture,  is 
140 


CONCERT  TOURS 

not  expected  to  give  another  lecture, 
or  even -to  repeat  the  same  one  with- 
out additional  compensation.  Encores 
are  all  right  enough,  but  the  singer 
ought  to  be  allowed  the  privilege  to 
sing  or  not.  Demands  for  a  repetition 
of  every  number  is  in  ill  taste.  Litta 
was  called  many  times  to  sing  more 
than  the  program  contained,  when  it 
was  apparent  upon  her  every  feature 
that  her  strength  was  rapidly  being 
exhausted.  Had  they  known  what 
suffering  they  were  inflicting  upon  this 
good  and  ever  generous  child  of  song, 
surely  the  public  would  have  lain  no 
such  oppressive  burdens  upon  her. 


VII. 
THE  GOING  HOME, 


"She  was  loved  most  for  her  pure  and 
gentle  life  and  so  loving  hands  weave 
roses  with  the  laurel  in  her  chaplet  of 
fame." 


"Of  every  tear  that  sorrowing  mor- 
tals shed  on  such  green  graves,   some 
good  is  born,  some  gentler  nature  comes." 
— Charles  Dickens. 


THE  GOING  HOME. 


THE  remaining-  chapter  in  her  beau- 
tiful life  is  a  sad  one  and  it  will 
be  briefly  written.  We  tell  that  which 
is  sorrowful  only  in  few  and  simple 
words  It  was  probably  a  year  before 
her  fatal  sickness,  it  was  perceived  her 
health  was  failing.  But  it  was  not 
until  the  early  spring  of  1883  she  suf- 
fered a  severe  attack  from  which  she 
never  fully  recovered.  That  was  at 
Galesburg.  She  rallied  from  that  at- 
tack after  a  brief  time  and  resumed 
her  work  again.  At  Des  Moines,  in 
Iowa,  she  was  again  prostrated  by 
sickness.  After  that  she  ought  not 
to  have  attempted  to  continue  in  her 
work.  She  was  never  robust  in  health, 
but  she  had  such  energy  as  enabled  her 
"45 


LlTTA 

to  endure  much  severe  labor.  "When 
urged  by  her  friends  to  rest  for  a  time, 
her  reply  was  she  did  not  want  her 
manager  to  lose  money  by  her  failure 
to  perform  her  contract  with  him. 
That  was  generous  to  her  manager  but 
not  just  to  herself.  He  ought  to  have 
insisted  on  being  as  generous  to  her  as 
she  was  to  him.  It  is  no  doubt  true 
she  thought  herself  capable  of  doing 
more  than  her  strength  would  permit. 
The  last  concert  given  by  her  company 
in  which  she  participated  was  at  Esca- 
naba.  From  there  she  went  or  rather 
was  taken  to  Negaunee  where  she  had 
another  engagement  but  she  was  un- 
able to  appear.  It  was  then  deter- 
mined by  her  friends  to  take  her  to  her 
own  home  as  soon  as  it  would  be  prac- 
ticable. It  was  done.  That  was  a  sor- 
rowful journey.  The  painful  thought 
146 


THE  GOING  HOME 

came  to  those  having  the  care  of  her 
that  her  sickness  would  prove  to  be 
mortal,  and  it  was  evident  to  friends 
who  saw  her  after  her  arrival  at  home 
that  she  had  sung  her  last  song  on 
earth.  "The  day  goeth  away,  for  the 
shadows  of  the  evening  are  stretched 
out."  It  was  then  she  fell  asleep. 

The  announcement  of  her  death 
produced  a  profound  sadness  not  only 
among  her  home  friends  but  among 
many  thousands  all  over  the  states  of 
this  great  republic  who  had  heard  the 
sweet  tones  of  her  voice.  Nor  is  this 
all.  The  news  of  her  death  was  heard 
with  deepest  sorrow  over  the  sea  by 
many  friends  in  royal  homes  and  in 
lowly  dwellings.  Everywhere  all  who 
had  ever  heard  the  splendid  music  of 
her  voice  were  sad  when  it  became 
known  they  should  hear  that  voice  no 
'47 


LlTTA 

more.  Years  have  come  and  gone, 
still  there  are  many  hearts  that  grow 
sad  when  the  recollection  of  the  un- 
happy fate  of  one  so  young,  so  gentle, 
and  so  good  comes  back  to  them  in  the 
hours  of  silent  musings.  That  scene 
in  her  mother's  humble  home — July  7, 
1883 — is  too  sacred  to  be  made  the 
subject  of  descriptive  mention.  Those 
grand  words  that  had  often  been  sung 
as  the  prayer  of  her  soul  by  her  whose 
life  was  then  passing  away  in  the  still- 
ness of  that  room — 

"Rock  of  ages  cleft  for  me 
Let  me  hide  myself  in  thee," 

was  then  about  to  find  its  fruition  in 
the  home  of  the  good  and  the  true  in 
that  "house  not  made  with  hands — 
eternal  in  the  heavens." 

The  friends  of  Litta  came  together 
at  the  hour  appointed  for  the  funeral 
148 


THE  GOING  HOME 

services.  It  was  an  assembling  of  all 
classes  of  people,  rich  and  poor,  to  pay 
homage  to  her  worth.  The  ceremonies 
were  brief  but  impressive.  The  minis- 
ter prayed  and  the  people  wept.  Then 
her  body  was  borne  away  and  laid 
among  flowers  in  the  tomb.  That 
was  the  end  of  a  noble  life  here  on 
earth.  Friends  came  together  again 
and  took  her  body  from  the  tomb  and 
buried  it  in  our  mother  earth,  there  to 
remain  until  the  morning  of  the  resur- 
rection when  angels  will  come  to  bear 
it  away  to  Our  Father's  House.  Once 
more,  and  for  the  last  time,  her  friends 
came  together.  It  was  around  that 
column  that  rises  above  her  grave  in 
the  midst  of  the  great  forest  trees  in 
the  peaceful  city  of  the  dead.  They 
had  come  to  dedicate  that  monument 
as  an  enduring  evidence  of  the  affec- 


LlTTA 

tion  they  had  for  her  when  living  and 
to  hallow  her  memory  in  their  hearts. 
The  friends  were  loath  to  leave  that 
sacred  spot.  Hope  was  kindled  in  all 
hearts  by  singing  in  tenderest  notes: 

"O,  Morning  Land." 

And  also  by  the  singing-  of  those  beau- 
tiful words: 

"Angels  ever  bright  and  fair, 
Take,  O  take  me,  to  your  care," 

words  that  Litta  had  herself  often 
sung  with  tenderest  and  sweetest 
voice.  One  standing  by  that  grave  on 
that  day  sang  in  soft  and  low  accents: 

"There  is  a  blessed  home  beyond  this 
land  of  woe," 

with  such  tenderness  as  touched  every 
heart.  Finally  her  worth  as  a  woman, 
her  greatness  as  an  artist,  and  her 
achievements  in  life  were  exalted  in 
eloquent  words.  Then  the  people  went 
away. 


VIII. 
PERSONAL  WORTH. 


"To  Litta  the  woman  first,  whose  vir- 
tue shines  out  with  luster  on  her  sex  and 
to  Litta  the  artist  second,  whose  emi- 
nence is  our  local  legacy,  we  are  here  to 
offer  the  tribute  of  our  respect,  of  our 
admiration,  and  of  our  affection." 

— David  Davis. 


PERSONAL  WORTH. 

STUDYING  briefly  the  character  of 
Litta  it  will  be  seen  it  contained 
only  that  which  is  best  in  social  worth. 
That  which  made  her  most  beloved  was 
not  her  life  on  the  lyric  stage,  great  as 
that  was,  but  her  pure  personal  life 
without  the  slightest  blemish.  It  was 
a  life  so  true  it  commanded  the  high- 
est respect  and  even  the  affection  of 
the  lowly  and  the  exalted.  Often  the 
poor,  who  loved  her  for  her  gentle 
qualities,  pause  at  the  foot  of  the  mon- 
ument that  marks  her  grave  and  with 
dimmed  eyes  read  the  inscriptions  to 
her  personal  worth  that  are  cut  deep 
in  that  solid  granite.  May  that  unpre- 
tentious monument  stand  through  all 
coming  centuries!  It  will  make  every 
'53 


LlTTA 

one  who  reads  those  imperishable  words 
appreciate  more  than  ever  the  good 
that  is  in  our  common  humanity. 
Litta  had  herself  been  poor  during  her 
whole  life  and  that  caused  her  to  have 
the  intensest  sympathy  with  the  lowly. 
The  brightest  gem  in  her  crown  will  be 
her  nobleness  of  soul.  It  is  that  which 
will  remain  when  all  else  connected 
with  her  fame  shall  have  perished  and 
is  forgotten.  She  was  gentle,  she  was 
kind,  and  she  loved  all  that  is  good  and 
all  that  is  good  loved  her.  She  lived 
to  do  good  unto  others.  It  was  her 
crowning  happiness  to  divide  every- 
thing she  had  with  others,  giving  al- 
ways the  largest  share  and  the  best 
to  them.  Nothing  gave  her  so  much 
pleasure  as  to  do  good  to  others.  In 
that  work  akin  to  the  purest  ministra- 
tions in  charity  she  literally  sacrificed 
"54 


PERSONAL  WORTH 

her  life  —  a  life  that  contained  all  that 
is  best  in  human  nature.  She  did  not 
have  to  learn  to  be  good  or  do  good. 
It  was  inwrought  in  her  nature. 

But  distinction  seldom  arises  out  of 
the  silent  and  unostentatious  exercise 
of  the  graces  and  virtues  of  the  best 
lives.  There  are  noted  philanthropists 
but  they  have  become  so  by  doing  gen- 
erous acts  before  the  public,  in  the  hos- 
pital, the  prison,  and  in  the  charitable 
institutions.  That  is  praiseworthy. 
But  the  name  of  one  who  silently  and 
unobserved  does  most  that  is  best  for 
humanity  is  seldom  written  only  by 
the  recording  angel  in  the  Book  of  Life. 
Fame  arises  out  of  talents  not  com- 
monly possessed  with  others.  Such 
gifts  when  exercised  before  the  public 
attract  attention.  Instances  of  rare 
endowments  are  manifested  in  oratory, 

'55 


LlTTA 

in  music,  in  painting,  in  sculpture,  and 
most  often  in  merciless  war,  and  the 
ones  having1  those  extraordinary  pow- 
ers become  famous.  It  was  through 
her  voice  of  wonderful  compass  and 
thrilling'  power  that  Litta  became 
known  to  the  musical  world.  Few  ever 
had  that  gift  in  so  large  a  measure.  It 
was  a  ''beautiful  gift  of  nature"  and 
one  that  is  appreciated  by  all  people 
in  all  lands  no  matter  what  their  de- 
gree of  civilization  may  be.  It  was 
inevitable  a  voice  capable  of  such  won- 
drous expression  in  song  would  make 
her  famous  and  so  it  did.  There  is  a 
strange  power  in  the  human  voice  and 
whether  heard  in  speech  or  song  it  has 
always  a  charm  which  nothing  else 
possesses.  Its  extent  and  power  was 
never  better  observed  than  in  hearing 
Litta  sing  before  a  vast  multitude  as- 
,56 


PERSONAL  WORTH 

sembled  from  motives  of  patriotism. 
Orators — strong  men — with  unusually 
clear  and  strong-  voices  addressed  the 
people.  Beyond  a  few  that  surrounded 
the  stand  they  were  not  heard.  Any 
one  standing  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
assembled  mass  of  people — many  thou- 
sands— could  see  the  motion  of  their 
hands  and  bodies  that  evidenced  the 
fact  they  were  speaking,  but  not  a 
word  was  understood.  After  they  had 
ceased  to  speak,  Litta  was  introduced 
to  sing.  She  was  yet  small  of  stature, 
but  graceful  in  form — still  not  much 
more  than  a  child  in  age.  The  first 
word  she  uttered  went  beyond  and  over 
that  immense  assembly  and  in  an 
instant  profound  silence  prevailed. 
Every  word  she  pronounced  was  dis- 
tinctly understood  by  every  one.  As 
her  clear  notes  rang  out — 
'57 


LlTTA 

"God  save  our  native  land, 
Firm  may  she  ever  stand," 

ten  thousand  hearts  silently  responded 
with  patriotic  fervor,  Amen!  When 
she  sang  "The  Star  Spang-led  Banner" 
all  Americans  that  heard  her,  resolved 
to  observe  a  stronger  devotion  to  our 
common  country.  When  she  sang  on 
other  occasions  "I  Know  That  My  Re- 
deemer Liveth,"  there  was  no  heart 
upon  which  its  grand  measures  fell  but 
was  strengthened  in  its  devotion  to 
the  great  Master  and  to  His  beautiful 
and  holy  teachings  and  was  not  bet- 
ter grounded  in  its  hope  of  immortal- 
ity. When  she  sang,  as  she  often  did, 
those  beautiful  words  so  full  of  tender- 
est  pathos: 

"Home,  home,  sweet,  sweet  home, 
There  is  no  place  like  home," 

thousands  gave  thanks  to  Our  Father 
,58 


PERSONAL  WORTH 

for  their  own  homes  "ever  so  humble." 
She  sang-  of  patriotism  and  citizens  be- 
came better  and  more  devoted  to  our 
beloved  country.  She  sang  of  religion 
and  devotion  was  kindled  anew  and  a 
deeper  and  firmer  conviction  of  its  di- 
vine truths  came  to  the  believer  than 
ever  before.  She  sang  of  "The  old 
folks  at  home,"  and  of  that  mother 
that  made  it  a  home  and  all  the  better 
impulses  of  our  natures  were  enlarged 
and  all  who  heard  her  sweet  accents 
resolved  to  be  better  and  do  more  good 
to  others. 

Her  life  ended  prematurely,  yet  she 
lived  long  enough  to  make  a  splendid 
reputation  for  herself  both  in  Europe 
and  in  America.  Heroic  in  spirit  and 
brave  in  achievements  she  accom- 
plished in  the  space  of  a  few  years 
that  which  is  commonly  the  work  of  a 
.59 


LlTTA 

long  lifetime .  She  was  subj  ected  some- 
times to  unfriendly  criticism,  no  doubt, 
but  a  triumph — a  grand  triumph,  came 
at  last.  In  the  gilded  halls  of  the  great 
and  in  the  lowly  dwellings  of  the  poor 
on  both  continents  she  made  herself 
heard  and  all  were  charmed  with  the 
surpassing  sweetness  of  her  voice  and 
acknowledged  the  supremacy  of  her 
genius.  Like  Jenny  Lind  she  often 
sang  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor,  be- 
cause her  heart  was  good  and  she  loved 
to  do  good  unto  them.  Jenny  Lind's 
last  singing  on  the  American  conti- 
nent, after  her  marriage  in  Boston 
and  just  before  starting  homeward, 
was  in  a  town  hall  in  a  New  England 
village  where  she  had  been  stopping 
temporarily  —  not  suffering  any  public 
announcement  to  be  made  that  she 
would  sing  for  public  charity,  yet  she 
160 


PERSONAL  WORTH 

did  devote  the  whole  proceeds  received 
to  that  noble  work.  That  was  like  her 
for  her  life  abounded  in  all  that  is 
good.  The  great  in  soul  are  always 
kind  and  gentle  in  spirit.  Litta's  voice 
was  heard  for  the  last  time  in  earthly 
song-  far  up  in  the  Peninsula  of  North- 
ern Michigan,  near  the  Great  Lakes 
among  the  poor  miners  of  that  vicin- 
ity. No  one  can  tell  what  hopes  were 
kindled,  what  emotions  and  what  re- 
solves, and  what  purposes  for  good 
were  awakened  among  that  lowly  peo- 
ple by  her  song.  Litta!  Child  of  song, 
thy  pure  and  true  life  will  ever  be  an 
inspiration  to  all  who  love  the  good  to 
work  more  and  do  more  in  mercy  and 
in  charity  and  in  all  that  makes  the 
world  better. 


IX. 


in 


xmn 


"  This  name  needed  not  to  be  engraved 
on  stone,  for  it  had  been  printed  forever 
on  some  fond  heart." 

—  John  Watson. 


IN  MEMORIAM 

On  the  south  side  of  the  column  that 
rises  above  her  grave,  where  all  who 
pass  that  way  may  read  it,  is  written  in 
the  granite,  the  story  of  her  life : 


"  MARIE  EUGENIA  VON  ELSNER 

WAS   BORN  JUNE  1,   1866, 
AND    DIED  JULY   7,   1883. 

SHE  WAS  KNOWN  TO  THE  MUSICAL  WORLD 

AS 

MARIE  LJTTA." 


IN  MEMORIAM 

On  the  west  side,  on  which  falls  the 
last  rays  of  the  going  down  sun,  gilding 
the  letters  as  with  gold,  is  the  record  of 
the  tribute  of  the  citizens  to  her  memory: 


"THIS   MONUMENT 

WAS   ERECTED 
BY   THE   CITIZENS   OF    BLOOMINGTON 

TO  THE    MEMORY 
OF   HER    WHO   WON    FAME    FOR 

HERSELF 
AND   REFLECTED   IT   UPON 

THE   CITY 
OF   HER   BIRTH." 


IN  MEMORIAM 

In  the  shadow  of  the  column  on  the 
north,  where  no  sun-light  ever  falls  other 
than  that  of  the  evening  and  morning' 
sun,  are  engraved  words  of  tender  pathos; 


HER  SUN  ROSE  THROUGH  CLOUDS  IN 
THE  MORNING  AND  WAS  ECLIPSED 
AT  NOON.  BY  A  LIFE  LABORIOUS 
AND  HEROIC,  HER  GIRLHOOD  WIT- 
NESSED THE  TRIUMPH  OP  HER 
GENIUS.  WELCOME  TO  THE  RANKS 
OF  THE  GREAT  ARTISTS  OF  HER 
TIME.  SHE  WAS  LOVED  MOST  FOR 
HER  PURE  AND  GENTLE  LIFE,  AND 
SO  LOVING  HANDS  WEAVE  ROSES 
WITH  THE  LAUREL  IN  HER  CHAPLET 

OF   FAME." 


IN  MEMORIAM 

On  the  east  side,  where  fall  lights  and 
shadows  of  early  morning,  are  words  the 
reading  of  which  cause  emotions  of 
sorrow  and  hope;  sorrow,  her  years  were 
so  few,  and  hope  that  her  gentle  life  will 
ever  be  a  continuing  benediction: 


'A  FLOWER  IS  DEAD.  A  STAR  IS 
FALLEN.  A  BIRD,  SINGING  THE 
HIGHEST  AND  RAREST  MELODY,  HAS 
GONE  FOREVER  FROM  THE  GROVES 
OF  TIME.  A  WOMAN,  SPLENDID 
AND  HEROIC  IN  ALL  THE  BETTER 
QUALITIES  OF  LIFE,  HAS  CLOSED 
HER  EYES  IN  DEATH,  AND  A  VOICE 
WHICH  CAUGHT  THE  HIGHEST  SYM- 
PHONIES OF  NATURE,  HAS  JOINED 
IN  THE  CHORUS  OF  THE  INFINITE. 

"  'OF  EVERY  TEAR  THAT  SOR- 
ROWING MORTALS  SHED  ON  SUCH 
GREEN  GRAVES,  SOME  GOOD  IS  BORN, 
SOME  GENTLER  NATURE  COMES.'" 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


URC.AHER  JU/V  10 


A     000  632  803     3 


